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As long as you have an internet connection, you can legitimately figure out how to make money online from anywhere in the world.Instead of scanning through Facebook, stalking your ex on Instagram, or determining which Hogwarts House you belong to via a BuzzFeed quiz, let’s get you doing something much more productive with your time.Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom with napping children, a college student in between classes, or someone with only part-time work, even the smallest window of opportunity will allow you to earn money online.To get you started, our team scoured the web, consulted other side hustle experts, wracked our brains, and drafted the most epic list of money making ideas for you to try, starting today.TABLE OF CONTENTSBest Ways to Make Money Online FastLow effort, low commitment, and without investment. The ideas in this section are all about quick ways to make money online (and better yet, you can try them all for free).1. Switch to a High-Yield Online Savings AccountDo you have money sitting in a savings account that’s paying less than .09% interest?best online savings account ratesIf so, or if you don’t have a savings account at all, it may be worth your time to spend a few minutes opening a high-yield online savings account.Online savings accounts usually come with substantially higher interest rates that will help grow your money faster — over 20 times higher than the national average.They can afford to do this because they don’t have to pay for brick-and-mortar bank locations, which drastically lowers their cost of conducting business. They then pass a portion of these savings to you, the customer, by offering great interest rates on their banking products.Better yet, on top of ultra-competitive interest rates, online banks often offer large one-time deposit bonuses to new customers. These deposit bonuses can reach as high as $500, with the only requirement being that a minimum balance be held to unlock the bonus.Once a predetermined holding period expires, usually 1-3 months, you’re free to withdraw your money along with the captured deposit bonus. Think of it like travel hacking, except you’re doing it with savings account deposit bonuses.If you’re interested in even higher returns, be sure to check out the best apps for investing money online.2. Participate in Market Researchman taking paid online surveys to make money onlineMarket research companies like to collect data on consumer trends and spending habits so major brands can learn how to better market their products.This research is most often conducted via online questionnaires, and they’re always on the lookout for new survey participants.If you’re a first-time survey taker, we recommend starting out with Swagbucks. They’re currently offering a free $10 sign-up bonus and they’re the largest legitimate survey site in the world.Here’s how Swagbucks works:✔️ Register: Build your profile (takes less than 5 mins).✔️Earn Rewards: Complete surveys and earn rewards in the form of “Swagbucks”.✔️Get Paid: Redeem your Swagbucks for PayPal cash deposits or e-gift cards.If you’ve ever spent time taking paid online surveys, you know that you can earn money online every month while sitting at home in your PJs. You won’t get rich, but a few minutes a day generally adds up to a few dollars, and few dollars a day is enough to cover a utility bill by the end of the month.Other survey sites we like include:Survey Junkie – Up to $45 per survey.Vindale Research – $1 sign-up bonus.If you’d like in-depth information about the survey sites before getting started, you can read more about them in their respective DollarSprout reviews.Swagbucks Review | Survey Junkie Review | Vindale Research Review3. Leverage Gig Appsiphone screen with money making appsInaction is often the byproduct of not keeping things simple. In short, stop looking all over the place for some weird way to make money and just get started with something.An easy way to do exactly this is to leverage money making apps. Top trusted online earning sites, such as Lyft and Postmates, are just two of the many gigs where all you need is a smartphone and vehicle to get started. These companies on connect people looking to make extra money with consumers who need their services.If someone needs a ride somewhere, you give them a ride through Lyft.If someone can’t go grocery shopping, you grab their grub and deliver it to them through Postmates.No exhausting job search. No interviews. Just an application and a background check and you’ve got yourself a new side hustle in just a few days’ time.How to get started with Postmates:First, start by downloading the Postmates app and following the setup instructions.Once you’re accepted into the driver fleet, Postmates will send you a free delivery bag and prepaid card so you can get started.Postmates requirements:Be at least 18 years of age.Motor vehicles used for delivery must be properly insured.You can deliver via car, truck, van, motorcycle, scooter, bicycle, or even by foot.You must consent to, and pass, a background check.An Android or iOS device capable of running the app.Next, watch this short video by Jon from The Rideshare Guy. He does an excellent job explaining the ins and outs of the app and shares a few tips on how to earn money online with Postmates’ surge pricing feature.Be strategic about the number of orders you take on and where you deliver to. Subtle changes in your delivery routine can make or break your expected hourly earnings.Strategies that can boost hourly earnings include:Stacking multiple deliveries within a one-hour period.Keeping track of high ROI areas in your town.Leveraging blitz pricing and otherwise high-volume order times.Being personable and delivering order receipts in person (increasing the likelihood of receiving a tip).* Postmates is available in many, but not all, cities. Check Postmates’ homepage to see available cities near you.4. Cash in on Sign-Up Bonusesearn money online by cashing in on sign up bonuses and introductory offersWant $15 for a few minutes of your time? Of course you do.Lucky for you, rewards sites like Rakuten (formerly Ebates) and Dosh can make that happen. These sites offer cash incentives for people to download their apps.What’s the catch? None, really. The above apps, and other cash back apps like them, act as affiliates for online merchants. Whenever you make a purchase through one of the apps, they get a small commission from the store. They then pass a portion of that commission back to you as “cash back”.Example #1: You buy a pair of Nike shoes through the Rakuten app. Rakuten gets a $10 commission because you purchased the shoes through them, but then they give $7 of it back to you. It’s basically a way to get sale prices on things that aren’t otherwise on sale.Better yet, you can sometimes double (or even triple) dip and use the apps on top of normal store sales and coupon offers.Example #2: Nike has a site-wide 20% off sale. Rakuten offers an additional 8% off and you have a store coupon code, for $10 off, that you found on the internet. A $60 pair of shoes suddenly comes in at $36. Not bad.Rakuten credits a $10 sign-up bonus after making $25 of qualifying purchases within 90 days.Dosh offers a $5 bonus issued instantly after you link a credit or debit card to the app.Since they’re free, we recommend signing up for both. Any time you go to make an online purchase, just compare deals between the apps and use the best one.For more information on the cash back apps (along with savvy hacks for earning more money), check out their respective reviews.Rakuten Review | Dosh Review5. Try TrimThe Trim App can save you hundreds of dollars per year on common expenses, and it does it all automatically.They say a penny saved is a penny earned.That same adage looks a lot better when those pennies are replaced with dollars. And while this next app doesn’t exactly allow you to make money per se, it’s importance can’t be understated.Enter Trim. An app that can save you hundreds of dollars a year with almost no effort on your part.How is this possible?Well, Trim starts by taking a look at your monthly spending and then looks for places where you’re overspending — like abnormally high bills or subscriptions you forgot about.You might be surprised to see how much you’re spending on things you don’t really need.The best part about Trim is that it can actually lower your bills.Once the app shows you all the subscriptions you spend money on, you pick the ones you want to cancel and Trim does it for you. Next, the app goes after those high bills and actually reaches out to the companies on your behalf to negotiate a lower payment.There’s almost nothing in this world that we hate more than high bills and elevator music. Let Trim handle both for you.6. Make Money Online by Watching Videosget paid to watch videos onlineI mentioned Swagbucks earlier as a reputable survey site, but it turns out that taking surveys isn’t the only thing they’ll pay you to do.You can also make money online with Swagbucks by watching short, ad-like videos on a wide variety of topics (like entertainment, news, sports, and more).Perks include:A $10 sign-up bonus for new usersThe ability to watch videos on your computer, tablet, or mobile phoneA wide array of entertaining clips from leading content sitesAgain, it’s probably fair to assume you won’t get rich by doing this, but setting your phone down and letting the videos play through on silent seems like a pretty easy way to make money online to us.7. Earn Money Online by Surfing the Webearn money online by using the inboxdollars search engineInboxDollars is a market research company that pays you to use their search engine instead of some of the more prominent ones like Google and Bing.The idea here is that they will learn more about people search habits and uncover patterns that may be valuable to companies trying to better understand consumers.InboxDollars isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme, but if you’re wanting to know how to make money online for free, it never hurts to earn a few extra bucks for searching the web like you normally would.Here’s how InboxDollars works:$5 sign-up bonus for new users.You get $0.15 for every 29 qualified searches you complete.Get $0.05 each time you enter searches on 4 or more days in a week (Gold Members get $0.10).Want to learn more about InboxDollars? Check out our InboxDollars Review.8. Download the Nielsen Appdownload the nielsen mobile app and earn $50 per year you have it installedHave you heard of Nielsen, the company that tracks TV ratings? Turns out they collect data on a lot more than just TV.One area they’re really into is internet usage research.What does that mean for you? It means Nielsen will pay you $50 a year to keep their app on your favorite internet-browsing device.The app itself collects statistics on your internet usage anonymously, so you never have to worry about any data being linked to you.How the Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel works:Noninvasive, requires little storage space, and won’t impact device performanceAfter you’ve installed the app, just use the internet as normalYou’ll earn $50 for the first year you have the app installedNielsen tries to sweeten the deal by giving away $10,000 each month in addition to various other rewards and sweepstakes.9. Get Your Workout Onsweatcoin homepageMobile app creators have found a way to monetize every subject on Earth. The fitness industry is no different.While most apps try to get you to spend money, some apps have built-in ways to make extra money.Companies like Sweatcoin and Achievement (formerly Achievemint) have developed apps that collect data about your physical activity and “pay” you for that data. (The apps sync with the existing health apps on your smartphone or smartwatch so they’re not any more intrusive than what’s already on your phone.)Using them is easy. All you have to do is download one of apps and let it passively run in the background.Users will then collect points for daily activities such as walking or running, among various other workouts. The points (or sweatcoins) have cash value and can be redeemed by withdrawing through major e-wallets like PayPal.sweatcoin logo● Daily earnings cap of $5 for their free plan.● Paid versions of the app allow users to earn $20 per day or more (free 30-day trial for any of their 5 paid plans).● Earning with the app is more hands off.● 5 free sweatcoins for referring family or friends.achievement logo● Offers a more diverse range of ways to earn points.● From posting health-related tweets and logging food intake, to completing surveys and tracking workouts, virtually every activity with a health tie-in can be tracked.● 10,000 points is redeemable for $10.● 100 free points for referring family or friends (max 20 referrals).Our advice? Get both and let them passively run. You won’t get rich, but daily upkeep with the apps will net you $20-$50 per month — a fair price for allowing them to track something that is tracked by Apple or Google on a daily basis anyway.If you’re really serious about shedding some pounds, you can use your winnings from Sweatcoin and Achievement to fund a weight loss bet.With HealthyWage, users select a goal weight loss, place a bet, and choose a timeframe for achieving their goal weight. Their proprietary algorithm determines your payout, which can reach as high as $10,000.alicia m won $2,421 with her healthywage betThe process is pretty simple:1. Use the HealthyWage Prize Calculator to determine your prize amount.Using the HealthyWage calculator, decide how much weight you want to lose (minimum 10% of your starting weight), how much money you’re willing to bet ($5 to $995 per month), and how long you need to reach your goal (6 to 18 months). Play with the numbers using the HealthyWage calculator until you’re satisfied with your prize.2. Sign up for an account to place your bet.You’ll need to answer a few questions about yourself (height, weight, waist size, etc.)3. Verify your weight.Don’t head to the gym yet! Your weight loss timer doesn’t start until you verify your weight. In fact, you’ll need to do this at least twice — once when you place your bet and again at the end of your wager period. Verification can be done from home by uploading a video to the HealthyWage website.4. Lose weight, win money.If you accomplish your weight loss goal, HealthyWage will pay you via PayPal or paper check. If you don’t reach your goal weight, your monthly contributions will be used to support HealthyWage and pay future winners.To learn more, visit our HealthyWage review or their Frequently Asked Questions page.10. Sell Used Itemssell unused items to make extra money onlineSelling unused or unwanted items at market has been around since the dawn of time. The only difference now is where that selling takes place.For a good many of us, the thought of stepping outside and actually speaking to another human is a scary proposition. On the other end of the spectrum, there are certain people that get a rush out of negotiating a good deal on the sale of an item.Tips on getting the most money for your used items:Look at the fees. Some online platforms can charge listing, sale, and other assorted fees that cut into profit.Weekends are the time to sell (post payday).Time of day matters. Don’t have online auctions end at obscure hours.Always set the price of an item at the top-end of its value range.Sell high-value, high-margin items online (larger pool of prospective qualified buyers).Spend time on your item description. Studies have repeatedly shown that great item descriptions increase final selling price.Create urgency. Subtle words or phrases in your listing such as “one of a kind”, “rare”, and “limited time only” if applicable have been shown to increase sale price and conversion rate.Where to sell items online:Facebook Marketplace. Not the most flashy but sometimes simple is best. No listing fees, deal locally, quick turnaround times.eBay or Etsy. Large marketplaces mean more eyeballs. If your target audience isn’t on a small platform, there is reduced competition for your item.Cash offering apps like Decluttr. While you won’t make as much as you may in a private sale, cash offer apps produce an immediate cash quote for your item and quickly pay you upon delivery of the item to one of their shipping centers (good for low-end electronics).BookScouter. Like Decluttr, the online bookstore gives immediate cash quotes for textbooks and other scholastic goods. BookScouter allows you to submit a book’s ISBN to 42 different vendors so you can see who is offering the most for your book.If you have unwanted, good-condition items laying around your house just collecting dust, get rid of them. Think of them as depreciating assets that are losing value daily.11. Get Paid to Test Websiteshow to get paid to test websitesWebsite testers give their opinions on websites, including the design, quality, and ease of use of a site. This allows companies to make changes to their websites in order to provide a better experience for their users (and hopefully increase sales).Of course, they are willing to pay for your feedback, which makes this one of the easiest ways to make money online without paying anything yourself.A few sites for getting started include:UserTesting: $10 for every 10 to15-minute test completed.WhatUsersDo: $8 for 15 to 20-minute tests. You’ll need a microphone.User Conversion: $10 per study. Get started in as little as 5 minutes.Other website testing sites include Enroll, UTest, UserFeel, TryMyUI, and Userlytics.See Also: 8 Ways to Get Paid to Test Products at HomeHow to Make Money Online as a FreelancerWe’re picking up the pace now. These online side hustles require a bit more effort, and often a small upfront investment, but your income potential is significantly higher.12. Become a Freelance Writerhow to make money freelance writingThe term “starving artist” definitely does not apply here. There are many successful freelance writers out there who’ve used their business to replace their full-time job.You don’t need a background in English or writing to make it as a successful freelance writer.For instance, Holly Johnson from Club Thrifty started doing freelance writing on the side with no real background, and now makes over $200,000 per year from her writing.She recently put together a free workshop where she teaches others how to get started earning money online with writing.How to Build a Six-Figure Writing Career:Learn the techniques Holly’s used to build her writing income to over $200,000/year.Get actionable tips to get your foot in the door and increase your income over time.Gather positive testimonials and expand your online presence.The course itself has three tiers, each with different perks. The base tier comes in at $199 — a fair price when considering the earnings potential of landing just a few regular clients. It’s not free, but Holly’s knowledge is second to none.13. Become a Freelance Proofreaderproofread anywhere courseDoes the incorrect use of there, their, and they’re drive you crazy? Put your eagle eyes to good use by earning money as a proofreader.Caitlin Pyle of Proofread Anywhere made $43,000 her first year as proofreader, in her spare time, while studying abroad. Impressive, right?Once she realized demand for the skill was high — far too high for one proofreader to fill — she created an online course to help others start their own proofreading business.She also has free workshops almost every day.In Caitlin’s free workshop, you’ll learn:What a successful proofreader does (and doesn’t do)How to elevate your skills to become a successful proofreaderWhere to find high-paying proofreading clientsIt’ll take a few weeks to learn the course material, and likely a few more to start acquiring clients, but talk about flexible. From working at home and setting your own hours, to choosing your workload and setting your own rates, it’s hard to beat a lifestyle that you have full control over.14. Become a Virtual Assistant (VA)Writing and proofreading aren’t for everyone. Some people prefer more administrative or data-oriented tasks, which is exactly the role of a virtual assistant.Businesses use virtual assistants for things like booking travel, answering emails, social media management, email management, and more.As a virtual assistant you can choose which services to offer clients and at what rates. The more value you can provide, the more you can charge.Some stats about VAs:The average North American virtual assistant earns between $35 and $50 per hour.There has been a 95% increase in demand for VAs over the last three years.There are over 150 different services you can offer as a VA.here are over 150 different services you can offer as a virtual assistantThe great thing about virtual assistant work is that it almost always opens the door to bigger and better opportunities.Be it an expanded or full-time role within the company you work for, a lateral transfer to a new company, or a huge leap forward because of the skills you learned on the job, VA work has quickly become one of our favorite ways to generate income online.15. Make Money Teaching English OnlineMake money teaching English online with VIPKID.Have you heard of VIPKID? Here’s a snippet from their site that explains a little more about them:VIPKID provides an international learning experience to children in China between the ages 4-12. Headquartered in Beijing, the company offers fully immersive one-on-one English language instruction provided online by highly qualified teachers. The curriculum is based on the U.S. Common Core State Standards and uses a flipped-classroom approach to foster creativity and critical thinking skills.For just 90 minutes a day, you can easily make over $500 per month. All you need is a Bachelor’s degree and English classroom experience.More information on VIPKID:VIPKID teachers make between $14 and $22/hour.All classes are taught online via webcam.Bachelor’s degree required for all teachersFor perspective, Forbes has VIPKID as the #1 work-from-home company on their list from 2018. That’s pretty high honors for the remote gig, and it speaks to the flexibility and legitimacy that VIPKID offers as an online income opportunity.16. Become a Web Designerhow to make extra money as a web designerIf you have a knack for computers and an eye for design, you can easily make $1,000 or more each month by building websites for small businesses.We paid a designer over $6,000 to custom code our website theme. From branding and color schemes, to ease of use and user satisfaction, web designers are the ones responsible for bringing a website to life.If you’d like to learn more, check out this article by Creative Market on how to become a web designer.Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator are essential pieces of software you’ll need to master, and proficiency in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are a must.If this sort of geek-speak inspires you, a career in web design is right up your alley.17. Become a Transcriptionisthow to make money online as a transcriptionistAlong the same lines as online freelance writing or proofreading, transcription is a service-based skill that allows you to make money online from anywhere in the world.Also alluring about the location-independent job is the fact that you can often start with very little or no prior experience, and the pay is relatively generous.Transcribed material is typically derived from one of three categories: general, medical, and legal.Companies that conduct in business in the medical or legal realms may require that you have some knowledge or experience in the respective field.Transcription FAQsWhat does a transcriptionist do?Most often, transcriptionists are independent contractors who listen to audio (or video) files and then transcribe the spoken word into written content. This most commonly appears in the form of typists creating electronic content, but some companies need handwritten material depending on the arrangement.How much do transcriptionists make?Hourly figures typically range between $10-$20 per hour for beginners and $20-$30 per hour for intermediate and advanced transcriptionists.What equipment do I need?Most freelance transcription jobs require a quality headset, stable internet, and a laptop or PC with word-processing software. Other optional equipment includes an ergonomic desk and chair, typing-software enhancements like TextExpander, and a dictionary of common Medical or Legal terms.How can I get started?Jumping into the field is relatively simple. Most prospective transcriptionists start by taking an online transcription course that teaches them the skills necessary to perform common job duties. Companies, such as Transcribe Anywhere, offer classes that teach students the basics of general, medical, or legal transcription, and just as importantly, how they can go about finding clients for work.Transcribe Anywhere recommends a self-paced study time of 2-4 months for their General Transcription: Theory & Practice™ course, but motivated students can complete the course in a shorter time if desired. “Levels” for their flagship courses range from $127 to $697.Want to learn more but can’t commit to a paid course? Transcribe Anywhere also offers free mini-courses in general transcription and legal transcription to see if either field is right for you.Ideas for Starting an Online BusinessIf you are looking to earn serious income online, it might be worth going “all in” and starting your own online business.In most cases, owning an online business won’t help you get rich overnight. And further complicating the matter is that most businesses require real skills, a significant time investment, and most likely a cash investment, too.If we haven’t scared you away yet, here are a few options that can eventually lead to a full-time income online.18. Start a Blogchart of monthly blog revenue Do you feel like you have a message to the world, but don’t have a platform to deliver it?Maybe it’s time for you to start a blog.DollarSprout started in a small apartment as an outlet for two college buddies to talk about all things personal finance. Fast forward a few years and DollarSprout is now a team of entrepreneurial money nerds helping to educate others on the topic of money management.What started as an online side hustle turned into a full-fledged business endeavor.Here are some of the many ways bloggers make money online:Selling advertising spacePromoting affiliate products and earning commissionsSelling their own digital products and coursesSponsored content, and more.Starting a blog is easy, but turning your blog into a successful business takes months to years of hard work, patience, and a continual willingness to learn.If blogging sounds like the side hustle (or full-time business) of your dreams, we’ve put together a helpful guide to get you started.Here’s a quick rundown of the process:1️⃣ Find your niche. Start with something you’re passionate about (no need to be an expert).2️⃣ Set up your blog. We recommend HostGator (it costs as little as $2.75/mo).3️⃣ Start writing content that helps readers solve a problem.4️⃣ Build an audience. Pinterest is a great starting point.5️⃣ Start to Monetize. Ads, affiliate marketing, products — it’s up to you!Want to see how we built a $1,000,000+/year blog?In this FREE 7-day email course, you'll join 50,000+ other readers in:Seeing the exact steps we took to earn our first $1,000 blogging (and beyond).Starting your own blog (and learning how to write epic, money-making content).First NameEmail AddressWe use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer.SIGN ME UPCourse delivered courtesy of Breaking The One Percent.19. Make Money with Facebook AdsMan sitting on couch running a Facebook ads business from homeFacebook ads — we’ve all seen them. Thousands of times even.A new pair of shoes. A new car. Whatever item you merely thought about just 3 minutes prior. (Seriously, they’re creepy sometimes.)But have you ever stopped to think about the other side of the equation? Like, who is responsible for creating the oh-so-good looking ads that you see and just have to click on?Odds are, it’s someone just like you. It’s not like you learn how to create Facebook ads in school. It’s a post-secondary skill that you learn through lots of trial and error, or by having a mentor to guide you through the process.The best Facebook ad creators are ones that can put themselves in the shoes of a prospective buyer and sell them on a story. A story that helps a customer envision themselves using a product, and one that doesn’t end until they hit the “buy” button.What exactly do Facebook ad specialists do?Facebook ad specialists help businesses get more customers and sales.facebook ads appThink about how many local businesses are in your area (not giant retailers like Walmart or Dick’s Sporting Goods, but local coffee shops, chiropractors, law firms, etc.).Chances are, most of them are not taking advantage of Facebook advertising.These businesses may have a Facebook page, but most are not using them effectively to attract more clients or drive more sales via paid advertising.That’s where you can come in as a Facebook ads specialist. The best part about this work-from-home job in addition to its flexibility is that learning the art and skill of Facebook ads isn’t impossible. Anyone can pick it up and secure their first client within a month.Local Facebook ads experts help their clients with:Creating Facebook ads based on business goalsReaching their target audience/clienteleManaging advertising budgets and monitoring campaignsSplit testing ad variations to get the highest ROI (return on investment)How much do Facebook marketers make?This all depends on the results that you can deliver for your clients. Most Facebook ad agencies — even one-man shows — will usually charge a monthly retainer as their “management fee” for managing the ads.It’s industry standard to charge anywhere from $1,000 – $2,000 per month per client, and you don’t need any website or marketing experience to get started. This is in addition to the ad spend itself, which obviously goes directly to Facebook.As you bring on more clients and build a reputation in your community for delivering outstanding results, your income can quickly increase. It only takes a handful of clients to start building a full-time income.How to become a local Facebook marketer:The FB Side Hustle Course will show you how to manage Facebook ads for local businesses, step by step.In the course, you’ll master the three phases of building your work-from-home Facebook ads business:Learning how to set up a Facebook ad system for a local businessHow to find prospects who will pay you for this serviceHow to convert those prospects into clientsIf you want to learn more about Bobby and Mike’s backgrounds and how they’ve built their Facebook ads business, you can check out their story here.20. Start a Drop Shipping Businesshow to make money drop shippingThe drop shipping business model is taking the internet by storm right now, and for good reason. It’s a legitimate way to make money online and requires very little startup cost.What is drop shipping?In the words of Shopify,Dropshipping is a retail fulfillment method where a store doesn’t keep the products it sells in stock. Instead, when a store sells a product, it purchases the item from a third party and has it shipped directly to the customer. As a result, the merchant never sees or handles the product.If blogging isn’t your thing but you still want to start an online business, starting an e-commerce site is another option to consider.If you didn’t gather from the Shopify explanation, the premise of drop shipping online is simple. You create a storefront, arrange product sales directly between a manufacturer and a consumer, and collect on the margins created by being a middleman.how to create an online shop with shopifyIf you get good at driving web traffic to your storefront (using paid methods like Facebook Ads), you can score a healthy ROI on high-margin products.In fact, there are dozens of people all over the world that have made tens of millions of dollars doing exactly this. Now, their results aren’t typical, but it goes to show that sometimes there is value in mastering a skill outside of a traditional career path.If interested, Shopify frequently offers free workshops designed to teach you the basics and how to get started.How to Earn Passive Income OnlineThe items in this section all require an up-front cash investment but offer the opportunity for your money to make you even more money — all online. If you are financially able to, building up passive streams of income is a key part of accumulating wealth.21. Earn Money as an Airbnb Hosthow to earn money as an airbnb hostIf you want to get your feet wet in the renting business, Airbnb is a great way to get started.If you own your home, or your landlord permits it, you can earn money online by sharing your home with others.Here’s how it works:Create a free listing: Describe your space, how many guests you can accommodate, and add photos and details.Pick your price: What you charge is always up to you.Get paid: You can be paid via PayPal, direct deposit, or wire, among other ways.So just how much money can you expect to make? According to Airbnb, the average host makes $6,000 per year. To get an even more accurate quote, check out Airbnb’s homepage.That’s a lot of money for letting someone else sleep in your house while you vacation or spend time elsewhere. More impressively, some hosts have made as much as $200,000 renting out their pad while living somewhere cheaper. If you’re apt to switch up living arrangements to make a little cash, this seems like a no-brainer way to do it.22. Invest in Crowdfunded Real EstateMany people consider real estate investing one of the best ways to accumulate wealth. The problem is, it usually takes a good bit of money to get started.Luckily, there’s a way to invest in real estate without buying entire properties yourself.Introducing Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS)A REIT is a pool of money, managed by financial professionals that goes towards investing in real estate. Investors put money into the REIT, the REIT buys properties, and the returns go back to investors.The best part? You don’t have to worry about handling the landlord duties.Most REITS still require a hefty investment to get in, but we found a place that has just a $500 minimum investment to get started. With Fundrise, you get access to dozens of solid, value-producing assets.How to make money online with Fundrise:Invest directly in a real estate portfolio that a team of professionals identifies, acquires, and manages on your behalf.8% to 12% expected annual returnsRead our Fundrise Review here or watch the video below.All-in-all, it’s an ultra easy way to diversify your investments and get exposure to a market that may have been previously inaccessible.23. Rent Out Your CarHow much downtime would you say your car has each week while you’re traveling, at work, sleeping, or just hanging out at home?According to Getaround, most cars in the U.S. sit idle for up to 22 hours per day. That’s 22 hours a day you can lend your vehicle to someone else and get paid to do it.how the car sharing service getaround worksAs a Getaround participant, you also get access to premium parking and a $50 monthly rental credit in addition to the money you make renting out a vehicle.With $1 million in insurance coverage, your property is in good hands.To get started, just register for a free account, name your car, set the location and availability, and enter a description.If you decide to stick with Getaround after the 30-day free trial, you’ll pay a one-time fee of $99 for a Connect™ installation and a flat fee of $20 per month. The Connect™ allows renters to locate and unlock your car straight from the app so you don’t have to deal with lost or stolen keys. It also comes with added security features like tamper detection, GPS tracking, and engine lock.You’ll also get a digital key so you can access your car any time and unlock it from your phone. If you ever have issues, Getaround is there for you with 24/7 roadside assistance and customer support.Rental earnings accrue on a monthly basis and are paid on the 15th of the following month. Getaround keeps 40% of all earnings to cover the costs of insurance, 24/7 support, and other perks.Visit here to try Getaround free for 30 days.24. Invest in Dividend-Paying StocksIt’s been said that the average millionaire has seven streams of income. Dividend stocks are usually one of them.What are dividend stocks?invest in dividend paying stocksUsually when you buy stocks, you do it with the intent to buy low and sell high. Dividend stocks work the same way, but with one other benefit: just for owning the stock, you get a small portion of the company’s earnings.So with dividend stocks, you get paid when the stock goes up in value, and when dividends are paid out.If you are looking to get started with dividend investing, or any stock market investing, consider checking out Acorns. It’s a beginner-friendly app that can help you get started with investing using just your smartphone.Better yet, Acorns is now offering a $5 sign-up bonus if you open a new account. After registering, Acorns will deposit a free $5 into your account to give your investments a head start.25. Try Peer-to-Peer LendingIf you have cash on hand and are looking for a high-interest rate investment outside of your retirement account, consider peer-to-peer lending (AKA P2P Lending).What is peer-to-peer lending?Peer-to-peer lending is a financial system that matches prospective borrowers with investors that are willing to fund their loans. It’s like traditional lending but without a bank as the middleman. As an investor, you take the bank’s place in the equation and collect interest payments on the process.how lending club worksHow much money can you make?It depends on what types of loans you invest in and how much money you invest with. If you play it safe, you can expect to make 2-5% per year, whereas riskier loans can pay as high as 12% or more.Lending Club is one of the largest online P2P Lending marketplaces:Open an account and transfer as little as a $0.01 minimum initial deposit.Build your portfolio: Invest in a range of loans in increments as little as $25.Get paid: Receive monthly payments as borrowers repay their loans.99% of Lending Club investors with a 100+ note portfolios earn positive returns.When the interest rates of cash equivalents (short-term bonds, money market funds, etc.) are depressed, peer-to-peer lending presents a profitable alternative to just letting your cash sit idly by.

Life hacks. Tactics. Pro tips for stealing small, incremental improvements to your life...Make your bed.Organize your desk.Drink eight glasses of water a day.Who. Fucking. Cares?Seriously, are these truly going to make your life better? Are you going to look back from your death bed and say, "you know, I wish I would have drunk so much goddamn water that I needed to piss 47 times every day?"Fuck no.You'll wish you had helped more people. You'll wish you had doubled down on a promising opportunity. You'll wish you had paid more attention to the extraordinarily marvelous world of sights and sounds and tastes and people around you instead of spending so much time with selfish assholes who handed you their problems instead of challenging you to be a better version of yourself.Life hacks. Tactics. Pro tips. Maybe they work for some people.Maybe someone once unearthed some magical piece of advice that solved all their problems at some point in their life.Maybe they discovered some tactic that iced their proverbial cake.Maybe they found some life hack that pushed them the few feet they needed to reach the summit.Whatever it is, these hacks and tactics and tips are never the full answer. Most of the time they aren't even a part of the answer.That tactic that iced someone's cake? They probably didn't tell you their cake was made with the blood and sweat and tears of struggle that they'd rather forget (and couldn't teach you if they tried).That life hack that helped someone reach the summit? They probably didn't tell you they'd already scaled most of the mountain with good old fashion hard work.Hell, for all you know, the latest pro tip could be some Instagram fucktard trying to make a buck repeating bullshit from the latest self-help book they read--one with no scientific backing because it was written by another fucktard who was trying only to promote their business.Let's get back to focusing on what matters.Let's get back to substantive things that lead to a better life.Relationships. Meaningful work. Achievement.When the train finally comes to whisk you away to Never Never Land, these are the things you'll wish you had more of.Respect. Manners. Love.When the Death himself locks eyes with you, these are the things you'll wish you gave more of.Life hacks? Tactics? Pro tips for getting small, incremental improvements in your day?When you stand awaiting judgment with your maker, I doubt very much any of that shit will have made one damn bit of difference.So, let's stop pretending they will, and let's stop listening to the people who tout them as gospel.Let's instead use these thoughtful, fundamental, back-to-basics ideas for living a better life.1. Find Your Lighthouse, Lay Your Stepping StonesI've already written about the benefits of planning here. And here. Oh, and here.Planning your future is one of the most effective ways to the future you walk into is the one you envisioned.When you don't have a plan, you're a paper bag in a storm, getting blown around every which way, unable to control where you'll end up. Every email that comes in is another gust of wind. Every Facebook notification blows you in a random direction. Every unplanned meeting whips you around, dragging you to unknown alleys full of untold obstacles."Before anything else, preparation is the key to success." --Alexander Graham BellWhen you plan your future, you build a lighthouse to your destination. You'll have a beacon to follow, to guide you, to drive every decision.Better yet, when you plan each day (aligning it with your plan for the future), you're laying stepping stones to your lighthouse making it far easier to reach. You'll view emails and notifications and meetings in a new light--either helping you take a step closer to your lighthouse or causing you to step off the path in the wrong direction.Ben Franklin himself was an avid daily planner, waking at 5 am to perform his morning ritual before moving into the meat of his day. His quote on the matter perfectly summarizes my point:"By failing to plan, you are planning to fail."Don't leave the prospects of a better life to chance. A better life rarely happens by accident.Instead, build a vision for your future, a plan to get there, and create a plan daily to help you make small, incremental progress every day. Over time, you'll find the distance between you and your lighthouse has closed significantly, and you'll be well on your way to a better life.2. Enjoy the Scenery, Avoid Time TravelSay what you will about motorcycles, they force you to pay attention.After one weekend of training, I headed home with a new addition to my license: motorcycle class. It didn't take long to find a Harley store and pick up a used 2009 Fat Bob with black matte paint and chrome trim.In the words of Cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation, "she's a beaut, Clark."My inaugural ride though was treacherous.During training and certification, I didn't take my practice bike over 25 mph. Now, I was about to cruise down the highway at 55 mph.In DC rush-hour traffic.In the cold.In the rain.Zen Buddhism may teach mindfulness, but a Zen monk's got nothing on me when I'm hurtling down the highway at death-defying speeds on two wheels with a gas engine between my legs. I'm instantly pushed into the same mindful state I crave all the time; focused, clear, and aware of my surroundings. If I weren't, it could spell death.In some ways, living inattentively, thoughtlessly, and unaware of your surroundings is also inviting death, albeit it a slower one. Walk through life unfocused and distracted, and you'll wonder how the end came around so quickly.If you've ever experience Instagram time travel--where you log into Instagram, and it's suddenly 30 minutes later--you know what I'm talking about.Half an hour here. 20 minutes there. Another 15 minutes a few more times and you've blown HOURS of your day, unaware of what's going on around you, blind to the sights and deaf to the sounds of your life.I'm as guilty as anyone.It's too easy to feel "connected" triaging social media notifications from old friends. It's too easy to procrastinate important work with another email session. It's too easy to lose yourself in thought, hyper-analyzing a complicated problem or thinking of a better burn for that store clerk who treated you shitty at the Starbucks drive-through.But triaging social media notifications isn't truly connecting; it's not building a relationship. You're merely stroking your friend's ego with like's and comments as they stroke yours with the same.And email? It's probably the most misused tool in the history of humankind; one that makes you feel productive while you do nothing more than act as a traffic cop for digital information.As for getting lost in thought, hyper-analyzing your problems? You might as well be on rocking chair; expending energy without going anywhere.To be clear, I’m not saying you can’t zone out with social media for a few moments to rest and recharge.What I am saying is, when we're lost in our own thoughts (or phones), time gets away from us.Time, the only irreplaceable resource we have, literally passes us by.We are in this two-legged vehicle called life hurtling down the road with a computer between our ears and an engine in our heart. Don't be mesmerized by the blinking of the passing road lines. Pay attention to the scenery. It's all around you, stimulating your consciousness with emotions, new ideas, and solutions to problems you weren't even considering.Reject multitasking. Instead of succumbing to the urges of immediate distraction, refocus. Instead of allowing your mind to pull away from where you are, what you're doing, or who you're talking to, center your attention.In other words, live mindfully.Engage with your surroundings. BE where you are.When you do, you'll not only reduce stress, improve your memory, and increase the effectiveness of your immune system (according to the American Psychological Association), you'll also enjoy the beautiful moments and find that life can't sneak on by.3. Cut Lose Your AnchorsTwo summers ago, I spent a week in northern Michigan with my family camping in the woods, lounging on the beach and, on one windy morning, fishing.My two sons and I rented a rowboat (much to the chagrin of my youngest who desperately wanted the motorboat) and set out on Ocqueoc Lake to reel in some walleye and other tiny swimmers.After 10 minutes of rowing, we reached the perfect fishing hole. I dropped anchor and cast my line. That's when the complaints started coming in waves; my oldest son moaning about sea-sickness and my youngest son grumbling that he was "soooo booorreed."In a hurried effort to relieve my sons of nausea and mental malaise, we reeled in three empty lures and began the short row to shore.Only it wasn't short. Nor was it easy.I felt the wind at my back with every pull, and it seemed as if we weren't moving. I rowed harder, but the wind kept pushing. I rowed harder still, yet only managed to budge us a few feet.After 15 minutes of maximum, back-screaming, purple-faced exertion, we only closed a quarter of the distance, and now I was the one who felt like he was going to puke.While I rested and attempted to regain control over our predicament, a motorboat (much like the one my son originally wanted to rent) came trolling over to offer a tow, which I gladly accepted despite my sinking pride.As it turned out, my pride would sink quite a bit deeper before we made land.When these helpful fishermen pointed out that my anchor was down, my pride sunk deep down to the bottom of the lake where, sure enough, it found I had been dragging 50 pounds of steel through thick sludge and seaweed.It's amazing I made any progress at all.I'd like to think I'm relatively intelligent. I'd like to think that I'd never do something as braindead as leaving my anchor down while rowing ashore.And yet, I did.In a myopically-focused 30 minutes of vomit-inducing work, I didn't stop to think about *what* was holding me back. I only tried harder, and harder, and harder until I burnt out and needed help.How often do you propel yourselves toward your goals without stopping to wonder why it's so damn hard to hit them?How often do you push forward without checking to see what anchors could be holding you back?You've got to cut loose your anchors.Kill those habits and processes that waste your time, suck your energy, and don't contribute to a meaningful life.Shed the devices and apps that command your attention, preventing you from working on what matters.Rid yourself of the people who drag you down, who sap your energy, who keep you from growing beyond where you currently float.It won't be easy.Once you cut loose your anchors, you'll never get them back. That shiny, comforting heftiness of hot-dipped, galvanized, drop-forged steel will sit forever rusting in the muck at the bottom of the lake.Some of these anchors may be friends. They may be beloved gadgets. They may be paying customers!But ask yourself, what good are so-called friends who prevent you from being your true self? What good are gadgets that distract you from your main purpose? What good is a rowboat full of money if you can't take it ashore and spend it because some asshole-customer is holding you captive in the middle of the lake?Once free of these burdens, you'll be free to row any which way, ten times faster, and with ten times less effort.Cut loose your anchors and start rowing toward a better life.4. A Better Life With Your Eyes ClosedOur culture thinks about sleep backward.When trying to get more done in pursuit of a better life, we often sleep less to give ourselves more time in the day.And sleeping less does provide you more time.But in truth, to be more productive you don't need more time, you need more sleep.Sleeping less has been shown to have a variety of serious adverse consequences well beyond productivity. Procrastination, negative mood, difficulty focusing, and lack of clarity are all side-effects of insufficient shut-eye.Studies have shown that after 19 hours without sleep, your brain works about as well as it does after a few glasses of wine. After 24 hours, it's as if your blood alcohol concentration level is 0.10. Driving under that level of influence will land you a DUI in all 50 states!But it gets worse.A lack of sleep doesn't just cause mental errors; it has cost lives. Remember the 1979 nuclear disaster at Three Mile Island? What about the 1986 nuclear incident at Chernobyl? How about the Challenger space shuttle disaster or the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill? Yep, those were all found to have been caused, in part, by sleep deprivation.On a positive note, more sleep (specifically more regular sleep) can improve your life in a variety of ways.In a study comparing sleep schedules of Harvard college students for one month, participants who held a regular sleep schedule had better GPAs than those who didn’t. Even though both sets of students got a similar amount of sleep nightly, the ones with irregular sleeping patterns found themselves in a state of jet lag as melatonin was released at irregular times in their body.Even better, surgeons who are well-rested commit, on average, 20% to 30% fewer errors than their sleep-deprived counterparts. Maybe the best thing to ask a surgeon isn't where they went to school, but how much sleep they got last night.Errors and grades aside, sleep improves your health in almost every way. More rest has been shown to reduce stress, decrease fat gain, increase muscle mass, and significantly reduce the number of unforeseen doctor visits you have in a given year.Sleep is the miracle drug, and you may not be getting enough of it.The good news is, that's easy to fix.The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults over 25 years old get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night. But here's what I have to say about that: They have no fucking idea how much sleep YOU need.So, instead of following their generalized advice verbatim, experiment with your sleep duration. If you typically wake up to an alarm after 6 hours of sleep, go to bed 7 hours before you need to rise and see if you wake up naturally before your alarm.Didn't work? Try 7 and 1/2. Then 8. And so on.Run this experiment for two weeks (you'll need the first week to catch up on accumulated sleep debt), and you'll find two things happen:First, you'll learn exactly how much sleep you truly need each night.Second, and most importantly, you'll begin to experience the benefits of better focus, higher clarity, reduced stress, increased health, and a myriad of other health benefits shown in study after study.You can't live your best life by laying in bed all day. But neither can you walk around like a zombie.Find the right amount of sleep for you, get that amount as consistently as possible, and you'll find nearly every aspect of your life improves in meaningful ways.5. Use the Principles of Compound InterestSomeone gives you $100,000.They give it to me too.You put that money in a low-risk investment that earns 5% per year.I keep mine in a return-vent in my kid’s room, Breaking Bad style.In 10 years you’ll have $162,889.46.I’ll have $85,724.80 (yes, my cash will be worth less due to inflation).Now, I’m no financial advisor, but it seems that investing your money is a damn important strategy for building your net worth over time. But you probably already knew that.Even so, the number of people that don’t invest their money for long term growth is shocking. Hell, I wasted the first ten years of career income buying gadgets that would be worthless in three years and saving leftover cash in shitty bank accounts that earned interest no faster than my own eyeballs grow (hint: eyeballs don't grow).Luckily money can be earned.Time, however, cannot. And with lost time, comes lost opportunity.Once your time is gone, it's gone.The things you learn will compound in the future and pay dividends. The things you don't learn will compound into nothing.Invest in yourself.Invest in your future net worth by improving yourself today.Learning how to program is valuable on its own. Learning biology is the same. But learning both makes you invaluable. You'd be one of the few in the world able to make progress in the field of bioinformatics. Learn law on top of that, and you'd become sought out for extremely rare (and therefore wildly valuable) cases involving all three specializations.In a world of specialized employees and customers with little attention, it's the combination of skills into creative ideas that are valued above all else. Think about the success of Netflix, the combination of movies and Internet streaming technology. Or Uber, the intersection of mobile phones and taxi services.Just 20 years ago, we used a small fraction of the periodic table to manufacture "things." Devices, toys, houses, infrastructure, all created with a handful of elements. Today, we're using nearly the entire table of known elements. We use them to create incredible technology that fits in our pocket, connects to a ubiquitous data source, and allows us to call and share information with anyone from anywhere--your smartphone.These advancements didn't come from one person knowing about one subject deeply. They came from people who understood two or more subjects and put them together in creative ways that solved real-world problems.Fast forward ten years from today and acceleration of processing power and data storage will far exceed the ability of the human brain. In some ways, it already has. The latest headlines tell us we're watching the sunrise at the dawn of artificial intelligence.Department of Energy Announces $20 Million to Develop Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning ToolsDeepMind’s AI agents conquer human pros at StarCraft IIArtificial intelligence can now emulate human behaviors – soon it will be dangerously goodThese headlines tell us that many of today's computationally hard problems will be able to be solved by specialized intelligent machines. But merging two disparate ideas into something new and creative and useful will be something that only humans can do. And the value those humans bring to the rest of us will be worth more than gold.If you want a better life, invest in yourself. Grow your skills, your knowledge, your expertise. In doing so, you'll find you can shift your perspective, think from different angles, and connect the dots to creative solutions that nobody else had a chance of seeing. Like a good investment of cash, this knowledge will compound over time, broadening who you can help and by how much.This will fundamentally change how you view the world, interact with the world, and help the world, for the better.As such, your life will be better in every way.6. Make a Life By What You GiveThough my daughter couldn't walk, I held it together.Saturday morning, she crawled into our bedroom, eyes full of fear, cheeks lined with tears, choking out those words, "my legs don't work."We first thought she had a nightmare. Or that she was exaggerating. Or that she was a 5-year-old who needed a reason to climb into bed with us.But her legs didn't work. She couldn't walk. She couldn't even stand.Fifteen hours later she was strapped into a gurney, looking out the back window of an ambulance. She stared out, and I stared at her; tired, worried, and clutching a lump of emotion in my throat before it could escape.We got less than one hour of sleep that night. My wife didn't sleep at all.She was home with our boys, worried sick, unable to help from afar, and imagining the worst between all-too-infrequent updates that came only as the doctors performed their rounds (which is to say, hardly ever).When the boys awoke, she came to relieve me. I headed home to shower and prepare an overnight bag.That's when the love poured in.Calls and texts started coming. Friends and family were all worried about my daughter and our family. They offered their time and prayers. They stood ready to visit from afar. They sent treats to help the healing.And then our neighbors. They cooked us dinners, brought us gifts, took care of our dog, watched our boys, visited us in the hospital.100% giving.Expecting nothing in return.My daughter suffered from a post-flue complication (acute post-infectious cerebellar ataxia for you medical types), temporarily cutting off her ability to bear weight on her legs. We didn't know it at first, but it would resolve naturally in a few days time.I had held it together through my daughter's condition, an ER visit, an ambulance ride, and no sleep. But this outpouring of love from neighbors and friends and family brought me to tears.We are better people when we help others, when we show up, when we give of ourselves and ask nothing in return. As Winston S. Churchill once said:“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”I know this now. Not because I've given so selflessly, but because I've received.To me, those who walked away from their problems, their goals, their desires, and their lives in support of us who were consumed by life and unable to offer anything in return... they aren't just better people. They are the best this world has to offer.Give.Give of yourself, your time, your thoughts, your prayers, your resources. It's a sure way to a better life, not only for others but for yourself too.7. Make Your MarkWe live in a culture of consumption.Consumption of devices. Consumption of information. Consumption of anything that we think may lead us to a better life.But consuming doesn't give us a better life. Creating does.According to a Neilson report, the average American spends 11 hours and 6 minutes per day consuming a variety of media sources including television, movies, internet, radio, video games, and apps. Add print media like newspapers, magazines, and books and that number only increases.That's okay. There's nothing inherently wrong with consuming.Nobody enjoys buying useless tech gadgets more than I. I'd wager $100 that I have more articles saved, more books stacked, and more YouTube videos in my watch later list than nearly anyone.I'm constantly searching for that next-level of insight that will power-up my game.Maybe you are too?Maybe that's how you ended up here?You opened this article with high hopes that consuming it would provide some snippet of information, some lightbulb moment, or some tidbit of wisdom that will lead you to a better life.I sincerely hope you find that tidbit.But for that tidbit to lead to a better life, you can't just consume it. You must use it to create.Taken to an extreme, consuming fills our mind with information that will never be used to make a change in the world. If not applied to your work, the things we consume are informative, even entertaining, but ultimately useless."Consumption is an easy play. Doesn’t ask much from us. A simple tactic to avoid the pain of our own hearts and the realities of a sinking world. But creating and making stuff for others is vital for our survival." --Ryan J. PeltonWe live in a golden age of media.With hundreds of 5-star television shows produced every year, thousands of top-rated books, and an endless supply of quality articles written by stellar writers from all walks of life, you can't not consume. Ignoring timeless classical music, soul-changing movies, or masterful works of pop culture seems borderline irresponsible.But don't ONLY consume them. Let these works inspire and inform you to create and make your own positive mark on the world.8. Only Do What Only You Can DoOne of my favorite business quotes is, "only do what only you can do."I first heard it on a Modern da Vinci interview with Brian Roberts, though the original quote is attributed to Paul Sloan.Regardless, this quote is often shared in the context of leadership--take care of your own business strategy, manage your own team, take responsibility for your own customer relationships.Don't leave the important parts of your business to others. Only do what only you can do.But there's an even deeper meaning which tickles my fancy."Only do what only you can do" speaks to delegating tasks that someone else can handle. It speaks to knowing your strengths. It speaks to embracing that which makes you unique and letting others worry about the rest.Some might argue that this is the very reason we're here on this planet. To do that which makes you unique. To help others in a way that nobody else can.The alternative is chasing the competition; others' achievements, others' happiness, others' success.When you do what others can do, you compare yourself to them.When you do what others can do, you must compete with them to get ahead.And, if there's one thing I've learned in my 38+ years, it's this: Competing in sports and games is fun. But life isn't a game, and comparing yourself to others and competing to get ahead sucks.In Blue Ocean Strategy, W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne urge businesses to stop chasing red oceans--oceans filled with the blood of your competition from countless battles over customers. Instead, they suggest chasing blue oceans--unexplored new markets where you set the rules and define the boundaries based on your company strengths and market needs.Nintendo did this with their video game console, the Nintendo Wii.In a cut-throat world of video games competing over who had the best graphics, they decided NOT to play their competitions' game and instead focused on that which made them unique. They built a video game system that, by its very design, encouraged an active and interactive style of game-play that was uniquely Nintendo; photo-realistic graphics be damned.In other words, they focused on doing what only they could do.The result (and their reward) was the best selling video game console of that generation and one of the best selling consoles of all time.To be sure, this doesn't mean that someone else in the world can't have your superpower. Or that you can't build the same superpowers as another. There are plenty of situations when being in the right place at the right time makes you the most qualified and unique person to help. There are plenty of scenarios where doing the same thing as someone else for less money or with your own personal spin will be precisely what that someone else needs.In fact, these situations perfectly illustrate the point of the quote.Furthermore, you'll notice that this quote doesn't encourage thinking or ideas or meetings or planning. It encourages doing. "Only think what only you can think" is redundant and doesn't accomplish anything.No, you must do what only you can do.Find your superpower. Recognize your customers' needs. Stop playing to the competition. Leave the enemy's battlefield and find greener pastures to set up basecamp.What is it that makes you unique? How can you help others in a way that nobody else can? Why were you put on this earth? How can you use your unique history, your unique experiences, your unique position in a way no one else can?The answer lies NOT in doing everything possible, but by doing that which others find impossible.Only do what only you can do."I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." --Bruce Lee9. Re-Frame Your Way ForwardI still remember his phone call.I knew in my heart what it was about as I could hear his voice was laced with bad news.Bad news for me.My heart rate skyrocketed, and I stood motionless as my boss conveyed the message: someone else would be awarded the promotion (I believed) I deserved.I walked home that afternoon.I left my car in the parking lot and found a long winding path to my house.Out in nature, I could let my feelings wash over me. I could think mean thoughts. I could scream and cuss and stomp my way through the fields, relieving myself of all I couldn't say to my superior (though I had desperately wanted to).Despite having dozens of essential tasks to complete, that phone call temporarily erased them from my memory. It was as if all my desires, all my goals, and that I looked forward to was now being dragged behind, soon to be left forgotten on the road behind me.Worry, frustration, anger, and disappointment negatively impacted my ability to focus on what mattered. These emotions can conquer your attention too.Confidence, satisfaction, calmness, excitement, and joy can, on the other hand, do exactly the opposite.They give you energy.They bring clarity.They positively affect your well-being.My walk home started in frustration. I was consumed with rage and dismay. But every step along the way molded my self-limiting views.Frustration and anger evolved into a plan of attack. I recognized that, while I had been kicked off my preferred career path, there was no use being stranded in the proverbial woods.Sure, I was pissed because a new path to my destination might take longer or be more challenging.But maybe it would just be different.Regardless, in my anger, I had forgotten that there was more than one way to my goals just as there was more than one way home.So, with every stride, I ignored the bad news and considered my options. Every step brought clarity on what my path forward needed to be. Until, when I finally arrived home, I realized that I never wanted that promotion; I wanted an entirely different position in the company (one I would ultimately get).They say that when one door closes, another door opens.All my life I've found that to be true.But I've also found that, when you're consumed by negativity, you can only hear the sound of doors shutting.To hear the tiny creak of an opening door you must quiet your mind, take heed of your situation, count your blessings, and use whatever resources available to find the new path to it.It's a rare breed of person who can, when they are knocked off their preferred path, live in the calm and joy instead of the resentment and defeat. It's a rare type of individual that can re-frame a negative experience into something that benefits themselves and those around them.Be that person more.Don't get hung up on the negative. Don't fixate on the lack of progress, or on the goals that look unattainable, or on the problems stopping you from moving forward.Instead, like my lost promotion and subsequent walk home, remember to re-frame your experiences into something positive. Remember to ignore what you don't have, be grateful for what you do, and find a way to use all your resources for a better life.I don't do this nearly as often as I should. But I sure as hell try.I challenge you to do the same.10. Align With Your PurposeI started strong.I got up at 5:40, meditated, planned my day, got the kids off to school, exercised, and was ready before 8 am.This rarely happens, but when it does, my day goes well.Just not this day.This day, I crushed my morning routine but watched my afternoon suffocate slowly until, by 3 pm, it had died with no chance of revival.I found myself procrastinating, skipping parts of my plan, and getting distracted.The result was an ending that felt as if I’d left a lot on the table. It was a day that felt wasted.Where did things go wrong?Why was I able to have so much success in the morning, and so little in the afternoon? What did I do that killed my momentum?Was it the decision to eat lunch with my wife?Was because I walked down to get the kids off the bus?Should I have taken another break, meditated again, or eaten more protein?If you’ve ever had a day like this, you may have also asked a dozen questions trying to figure out why.Even if you start your day strong, ending it on a sour note feels as if you could have or should have done something else, something more, something different to keep the momentum and finish everything you’d set out to accomplish.And while there may have been one distraction that derailed you, the problem is more fundamental than that.After all, if you were truly committed to your tasks, if your job depended on getting them done, watching that cat video would have waited.No, the problem isn’t the distractions themselves.The problem is that your tasks aren't aligned with what matters. As such, the distractions beckon for your attention, and you can’t help but follow.You can start strong with good intentions, but if you don’t have your why, your purpose, your end goal in mind, you’ll run out of steam and find yourself distracted by everyone and everything vying for your attention—a bunch of trivialities that seem important but are only urgent.Every morning, or even the night before, take a moment to set your intention for the day. Remind yourself WHY you need to do what you plan to do.Doing so will prevent you from starting strong, then going wrong.Doing so every day will keep you focused on what truly matters, resulting in a productive, meaningful, and an ultimately better life.10 Things For a Better LifeThis was a lot. A lot of words for ten simple concepts.If you've made it this far, you're either skimming, jumped to the conclusion, or were glutton for punishment and read every damn word.Either way, thanks for reading, and I'll leave you with this simple takeaway. If you want a better life, focus on these ten things:Plan Your Every DayLive MindfullyCut Your AnchorsSleep MoreInvest in YourselfGive Without ExpectingConsume Less, Create MoreOnly Do What Only You Can DoRe-Frame Negative ExperiencesFind Your PurposeIgnore the life hacks puked out by Instagram celebrities who measure their self-worth by the number of likes they get on their latest positivity quote-image of Tony Robbins. Instead, focus on the fundamentals, the things that truly matter, the ten things listed here.If you do, you'll look back a month, a year, a decade from today and see how much your life has improved in nearly every way.Ready to Crush It?Download my Purpose Discovery Worksheets with 7 questions to immediately help you focus and find clarity in your work and life.

1) TIME:It was a cold morning of november, when I started my journey to Coimbatore from New Delhi. I was really excited because finally I got call from service selection board, Indian navy. I have put a lot of efforts in its preparation to give my best. There were many other SSB aspirant in the train. After 2 days of tiring train journey, on 3rd day morning, train reached Coimbatore station at 6:20AM, nearly 1 hr late from scheduled time.Reporting time at Naval selection board, Agrani was 6:30AM. All the candidates rushed towards exit of platform 1, where buses of Indian navy were lined up to receive them and to drop at Naval base.I was in rush too and wanted to move out of the station ASAP. I started walking very fast, but by mistake took wrong turn which caused me loss of few minutes. As I reached outside to report MCO(Movement control office), officer present there told me that last bus left just a minute before. He suggested to take an auto-rikshaw and reach naval base asap. I did it, so did the other candidates left there. We reached naval base at 6:33AM. We all were happy that somehow we managed to reach our destination almost on time.But destiny was designed other way around. We were not allowed to enter in naval base, because we were 3 minutes late. Everyone of us was in utter shock. We all started requesting that officer to kindly let us in. After all it was months of preparations and a job in defence was at stake. Sadly he was bound not to allow anyone after the time mentioned. After 20-25 mins of pleading, another sr. officer passed by there. We tried to convince him too, but in vein. Finally we were given a fair warning to leave the naval base gate, otherwise we may have to face consequences. Everyone left the place quickly.I was really disheartened. I was in shock about what just happened. So many month's preparation, 3 days tiring journey, everyday efforts put to meet physical standard of defence and most importantly quitting my job to attend SSB (My employer was not willing to give 10 days leave in training period), it all got wasted. It flushed away due to delay of few minutes. I paid huge cost for those 3 minutes delay. I have to travel again for 3 days in that extremely cold weather without confirm reservation. That purticular week was a painful, disheartening yet eye opening experience.So lesson learned. Always take your time and deadlines seriously. Time is very precious thing. Delay of few moments can literally affect you badly. Never wait to do things on last moment. You may not know how things may turn that time. It's better to be there before time, yes it's also better than being on time.2) MONEY:Its been few month since I switched to a new job and it was paying me okay, but I used to make good amount from part time by working as assistant consultant for Engineering Projects. So I was good at spending too and was spending open handedly.Things were going well, but one day I got a call from one my school friend. He is very close friend of mine as we had spend years together in school and have numerous memories of school life and after that too. It's been more than 15 years of our friendship. His voice was quite down and sounded very tensed. When asked, he told me that his wife had a miscarriage due to an accident. She was admitted in hospital. My friend asked me hor help as we was lacking funds. I was speechless. I recently invested a good amount to get my home furnished and rest I spent in clothing, weekend trips etc. It freaked me out. I told him about it and he then ended conversation simply saying "Its OK....I understand." I sent him amount I was left with, yet it was not sufficient to match his needs at time. It felt terrible. This incident made me feel worthless despite of having an income. I have let down my friend. Today it was my friend, tomorrow I could be any of my family members.Your family and friends contribute a lot in your success. If you can't support them in their bad, what's the point of being successful.Lesson learned. Always spend wisely, irrespective of how huge your source of income is. Plan your finances in best way possible. You have no control over time and the conditions it may put you into. Always save a good amount of your income for future emergencies. Remember the saying "A penny saved, is a penny earned."3) HEALTH:I used to be a fitness freak. From school days I invested a good part of my energy in sports and extra-curricular activities. I used have a good routine and physique. After making it to one of the good Engineering institution, I started compromising with my routine and physique. I used to wake up all night in hostel, and soon it became my new routine. Due to this, knowingly or unknowingly I compromised with my food timings, exercise, etc. Soon the level of my procrastination increased exponentially. Smartphone acted as a catalyst in this whole process. It sucked a lot of hours, and I lost the track of time. At the end of 4 years, I could feel how badly it has affected my body. I gained a lot of weight, lost work strength. I found myself annoyed, tensed and most importantly I lost willingness to act. Due to this, I started failing in many ways. Soon, my body and my habits indicated that I am crossing that fine line of being healthy and having some serious health issues if I continued this way. I rang bells in my mins and started focusing on my health. In between I got 2 SSB calls, which demanded me to be a physically fit person. After putting a lot of efforts, I feel good about being fit and healthy. I am happy that I realised it on time.Lesson learned: Your body is where your soul lives. Make it a better place and put efforts to improve it each day. In return, it will enhance you productivity, performance and personality. Remember - "Health is wealth.4) KNOWLEDGE:After getting admitted in engineering college, I made my mind to completely focus in my domain i.e. Electrical Engineering. I continued to do so. But later on, I felt this a sign of narrow minded thinking. In today's fas paced world, you have to keep yourself updated with whatever happenes in your surroundings and society. Also in life, you may never know which important facts, knowledge about a purticular thing may help you or may be your life savoir.Lesson learned: Realise the importance of things around you. Be aware of things and situations which can help you to make your life much easier. Knowledge is not just about getting degrees from reputed institutions. In life, it's general knowledge and common sense which also comes in picture and plays a vital role.5) NETWORKING:Once making it to a good institution, I was happy about it. I thought of keeping my eyes on track and just dedicate myself to my work. Most of us when make it to a good and well known institutions, we start taking it for granted I.e we have secure feeling about our future. That's a trap. Never fall for it. No one knows what kind of gift time may give. After graduating, I wanted to take a core Engineering job, hence followed my dream. I left my job from campus placements, and started applying in various companies. Soon it started to seem a never ending process. After few months, I started to frustrate. Things were going in different direction. I consulted few people in the industry and got a valuable advise which was "Start building your network." It made perfect sense to me. Institutional reputation may help you till a certain limit, but after that there is networking which plays an important part in your career growth. I started connecting with various people and leaders in the industry through a very popular social networking platform. My network started to grow gradually. Within 6 months I was connected with few top industry leaders. One of them liked my profile and soon I was offered a job after qualifying the process. I have got 5 jobs from Networking. Today various industry leaders like company from top management CEO, MD, President, General manager, Consultants & Advisors are part of my network. I enjoy a good terms with most of them. I keep on connecting with then on their birthdays, promotions and also regarding project works. Today I have started to take projects independently. I collaborate with many well known advisors and consultants at times. I believe, one can achieve great heights if networking is done in right way and on right time.Lesson Learned: Networking is next big thing. Having good knowledge and skills is necessary to do well, but having an extraordinary network can make you put at best utilisation of that knowledge and skills. It's the easiest way for one to become an independent professional.Thanks for A2A.