Before you quit your 9-5 for full time study – Read this
Are you thinking about resigning from your job to pursue a postgraduate degree? The decision to leave the security of full time employment is a huge one. So, you should not make it without thinking it through thoroughly. Here are some things that you will have to consider before you hand in that resignation letter. First of all think about why you want to leave your job, are you leaving because you are unhappy with the job that you are doing or you want to change careers. If you are simply unhappy at your current job, would your decision change if you were offered work somewhere else? Now, If this is the case then why not simply find another job where you will be happier? Also, if feel that you need to study towards a certain degree to secure a promotion at your current job then discuss this with your manager and find out for sure that you need the degree for the promotion. If there is another way to get the promotion other than leaving to study further may not be the solution that you are looking for. [bctt tweet=”Before you quit your 9-5 for school, think about why you want to resign from your job and study full time rather than studying part time” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] But if you are looking to pursue a different career or a career in research or academia, then you definitely need a post graduate degree. Find out exactly what you need to secure that job, I mean if you are going to risk this much, then you may as well be super prepared. Also think about why you want to resign from your job and study full time rather than studying part time. Is this really necessary? Some ladies have been able to work 9-5 and work on a side hustle at the same time. Resigning means that you do not have an income, so think about this: How will you pay for your studies? How long is your degree? Reality is that studying can be expensive. What happens if you do not get a job straight after you finish studies? If you have been saving for it then GREAT but if you are thinking of getting a loan, then how will you pay it back? You really need to plan for it. There is also the issue of maintaining your current lifestyle, truth be told sister… shopping for you may be a thing of the past without an income. And yes….it could also be goodbye to ladies night drinks with the girls. So be ready to cut down on some of your favorite past time activities. Be REALISTIC with yourself about what this means for you. If you plan on job hunting after you graduate, it will not hurt to volunteer where you would like to work on a part time bases while you study, this will increase your chances of getting a job there when you graduate. Quitting a 9-5 job to study will not work for everyone. But this being said, you should not be discouraged if you are sure that this is what you want to do. Just be prepared for what this will mean for you. Now go out there and get it done, hun! If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your startup story with us.
Oluwatosin Olaseinde: Time is your biggest leverage in investing
I started my 1st job 10 years ago when I turned 21. And I had no savings culture or investment plan. This lingered for the 1st 5 years of my career. I went from zero salaries to over one hundred thousand per month and my expenses surprisingly grew at the same pace. Interestingly, over the years as I got an increase in salary, the same pattern occurred, I acquired a new taste and my expenses grew at the same pace as my income. Then I realized that in fact, it isn’t how much you earn but instead what you do with what you earn. I had lost 5 years of an opportunity to invest. I had lost 5 years to make my money work for me. A portion that could have been invested had gone unaccounted for. Where do I start from? Let me introduce you to our benchmark – Inflation. So inflation measures sustained the increase in prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. In other words, inflation signifies the time value of money. Tracking inflation from an investment angle ensures that what I can buy with N1,000 in 2018, I can still buy it in the future with the N1,000 plus the interest I earn on the N1,000 capital. Whenever you’re investing, look for opportunities that give you a return that is at the minimum equal to the inflation rate. That way, the value of money is preserved. [bctt tweet=”Whenever you’re investing, look for opportunities that give you a return that is at the minimum equal to the inflation rate – @tosinolaseinde ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What are your options? 1. Savings/Fixed Deposit account This asset class offers an average of 5% per annum. While fixed deposit offers an average of 10%. Nigeria’s current inflation rate is higher than this, as a result, the returns on a savings account isn’t a good return for the money you worked hard for as it is not high enough to beat inflation. 2. Treasury Bills/Government Bond The government issues T-bills and Government Bonds when it needs to borrow money via the Central Bank of Nigeria. T–Bill is short-term in nature while Govt bond is long term. The key differentiating factors between T-Bills and Government Bonds are timing of interest payment and interest rate nature. For T-bills, the interest is paid in advance. For instance, if you plan to invest N100,000 in T-bills for a year at an interest rate of 11%. You will pay N89,000 to invest in the T-bill (the interest rate is paid in advance). Then recoup the capital of N100,000 at the end of the term. On the other hand, Government bond interest is paid quarterly, the interest rate is not fixed like that of Treasury bill, it is floating. Always compare the rates on T-bills and Bonds to the inflation rate. [bctt tweet=”Before you invest, compare the rates on Treasury bills and Bonds to the inflation rate – @tosinolaseinde” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 3. Mutual Fund This is an investment vehicle made up of a pool of money collected from several investors for investing in securities such as T-bills, Bonds, equities, commercial papers or even real estate. There are several types such as – Money market fund. Your capital is relatively safe due to the nature of the instruments it invests in. (T-bills, Government bonds, and commercial papers). You can start an investment with as little as N5,000. The investor can also compound by contributing regularly to an existing mutual fund account and re-investing the interest accrued. 4. Equity The value of a company after all liabilities have been deducted. A share a is a smaller unit of a company which measures the financial performance over time and provides an opportunity for investors to buy into it. As an asset class, a share offers value in two ways: Capital Appreciation: This is a growth in the value of the shares. E.g if you buy UBA’s share at N4 and after 2 years, it is worth N8. Dividend Payment: This is the profit distribution to shareholders. It is declared on an annual basis per unit of shares. 5. Real Estate This is the investment in properties. The properties range from virgin lands, commercial buildings to residential buildings etc. Real Estate generates return via capital appreciation, due to increase in the value of the property, and through rental income. In a country like Nigeria, a bulk of real estate growth comes from the appreciation of the property. Real estate return depends on the type of real estate asset. Location and purpose of property plays a critical role in value addition 6. Personal Development This is my favorite class of investment. You are your greatest investment. Unlike of all the other options, you are immune to inflation rates, currency devaluation or value erosion. Take that course to take you to the next level, take up new challenges, prepare for new opportunities, read those books. Ensure you are deliberate about improving yourself. It is one to know all the investment options available, it is another to take the right step. Time is a great currency here and the earlier you start the better. It is much easier to start now than trying to play catch up 10 years to retirement. You owe it to yourself to pay yourself first which means investing now. Oluwatosin Olaseinde is a chartered accountant with 10 years of experience in accounting, corporate finance, auditing, and taxation. She has worked with several multinationals – Bloomberg TV, CNBC Africa, BAT She currently runs Money Africa, a personal finance platform that teaches people to build healthy financial habits, cut down on unnecessary expenses and generate multiple income streams.
Video: “I saved money from my wedding to start my business” – Samiah Oyekan Ahmed
After attending SLA’s Lafiya Lifestyle Expo where she shared her knowledge on work-life balance, SLA had a tête-à-tête with Samiah Oyekan Ahmed at her store in Abuja. She also highlighted some challenges she faced when she decided to switch careers. “As an only daughter to two medical doctors, deciding to become a full-blown businesswoman wasn’t well received especially by my dad who had great succession plans for me”, said Samiah. Beyond all the challenges of starting a business in Nigeria, getting funding to start is usually the hardest, but Samiah was smart with her money, and she found a way to cheat that particular struggle. “I saved money from my wedding planning and used it to start”, she says. Samiah went ahead to give her two top advice for intending entrepreneurs. Watch the video here: Samiah Oyekan-Ahmed is the Founder of The Gift Source & Fusion Lifestyle. She is a Medical doctor turned entrepreneur, who currently runs two companies, Fusion Lifestyle Ltd, and The Gift Source. She is super passionate about hers and other’s entrepreneurial journeys, as well as sharing knowledge. Samiah is a wife and mother of 2 kids as well as a published fiction author. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your startup story with us.
6 Ways to Harness and Monetize your Many Passions
Asides the obvious fact that the recent economic downturn has forced several young people to have multiple sources of income, it is quite the norm these days to meet people who have a full-time job and are running small businesses on the side. They are also known as “side hustles”, and even full-fledged companies complete with all the bells and whistles. Sincerely, it is now a reality that a single income cannot sustain a comfortable lifestyle and this has pushed the average young Nigerian to get creative and take a dip in the entrepreneurship pool. Here are six ways to convert your many interests to money in the bank: [bctt tweet=”Take on practices that will not only push you out of your comfort zone but also work on improving your weaknesses – @tolanithomas ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Leave your comfort zone Starting and running a business is not for the fainthearted, it will constantly push you out of your comfort zone. For example, if you have a fear of speaking to strangers, you will have to overcome that when networking and marketing your services to potential customers. Take on practices that will not only push you out of your comfort zone but also work on improving your weaknesses. You don’t have to be an expert, just be comfortable enough to deliver value that people want and need. You need more than passion It’s great to be passionate about your business ideas, but don’t let your enthusiasm blind you from reality. Be honest with yourself! Ensure there is a market to tap into and you are ready to put in the work. Get honest feedback from people around you; even friends and family by offering your services to them. You have to be truly good at what you do. Your passion could be making people’s faces up, but are you skilled enough to train others? Also bear in mind that as a business owner, you’ll be responsible for reporting taxes, marketing your business and sorting out your finances. Are you ready for all the responsibility? Offer Real Value What void can you fill in the market? For example, if you are a makeup artist and there is no makeup studio around you, that could be a viable business opportunity. The goal is to take advantage of the gaps in the market, that way you stand out and enjoy greater returns before the copycats join you in that space. Ask yourself how you can make the industry better? Is this the business that keeps your entrepreneurial juices flowing? Let’s say your passion is making furniture. Why are you better than your competitors? Is it because your materials are sourced locally? Or your products are unique and one of a kind? That would be more appealing to customers as opposed to buying generic mass-produced furniture. When I started my consulting company, I had used several competitors. I knew what made them great, but I also knew what I wanted that they didn’t offer. I knew how to better the services. I started it and here we are! [bctt tweet=”Six ways to convert your many interests to money in the bank: 1. Leave your comfort zone… ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Convert your Passion to Cash There are several ways to make money off your passions: Selling an actual product such as clothing, beauty products online or in a store. Sharing your knowledge about your passion by blogging, writing books or making videos. Between sponsorships, subscribers and selling your own products, you can make a decent living. For example, Arese Ugwu turned her passion for financial literacy into a book – The Smart Money Woman – into a book that is being sold in several countries in Africa and the UK. Offering consulting services by giving advice on anything from law to skincare. Investing in an idea you are willing to financially support. Creating a software or gadget that makes life easier for people. For example, if you were a makeup artist, you could create an app that helps people find the right makeup products for their skin tones. Start an event around your passion, such as a regular meetup, seminar or a festival. Make Fun a Priority Maintaining your passion when starting a legitimate business can be difficult. Some people even forget exactly why they started a business in the first place. To prevent that from happening, always make fun and passion a priority. Your passion should reflect on your company policies, your passion should be communicated to your employees when you are hiring and they have to be equally passionate about your business as well. [bctt tweet=”Don’t wait till you master the craft before you start your business. You can learn as you go – @tolanithomas ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Improve Your Skills It would be great if you have a lot of experience, however, don’t be too hard on yourself, there’s always room for growth and learning. For example, a furniture maker may be great are creating unique tables, but not so good at creating sofas. You can learn as you go along your journey, don’t wait till you master the craft before you start your business. Malcolm Gladwell says it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert in any field. Nonetheless, don’t let the perceived amount of time it would take you to be the best at what you do deter you from moving ahead with your plan. It may not take you that long to master your craft, as you long as you keep looking for ways to improve your skills. Always ask for feedback and track your progress. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Quick Maths (4): How to build up an emergency fund for yourself with FSDH Asset Management
Save for the rainy day… it might take a little longer for the sun to shine! Welcome to the final part of our Quick Maths series by FSDH Asset Management, where we’re giving you simple personal finance tips you can master, to achieve your financial goals. In the last three series, we showed you how to generate income to start your business, how to diversify your income and how to get the best out of your net income and now we want to teach you how to save for the rainy day. What do you have saved for the rainy day? Nothing? We can plan for a lot of things in life, but sometimes, the unexpected just happens. These are the times you face bigger-than-expected bills, but having an emergency fund can make it easier. An emergency fund is money kept aside in case there are emergencies or problems in the future. Now, listen! An emergency fund isn’t for your everyday needs or special wants, so leave your sinful indulgences out of it, and no! flash sales are not emergencies either. We partnered with FSDH Asset Management Ltd to bring you this guide to help you understand why you need to have an emergency fund and how to start building up your emergency fund(s). [bctt tweet=”Having an emergency fund prepares you for the unexpected expenses yet to come – @fsdhcoralfunds” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Topics this guide will cover: What is an emergency fund? How much money should you have in an emergency fund? The difference between emergency funds and investments Ways to set aside emergency funds After reading this guide, you would be one step closer to achieving your financial goals. If you want to keep slaying in your finances, be sure to read up on our previous quick maths series, you’ll be glad you did! FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD – FSDH AM is a wholly owned subsidiary of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited. They are one of Nigeria’s leading asset management and financial advisory firm. FSDH AM is versatile in financial transactions and investment strategies that meet the need of investors in an emerging economy like Nigeria. They recognize that today’s investors need the services of dedicated and expert professionals to provide them with intelligent investment counsel. Therefore, their strategies are dedicated to preserving investors’ wealth while maximizing the value that they receive. Once you’re through with this guide, visit FSDH Asset Management Ltd to know more and get all your pressing questions answered. Getting access to this guide is easy: just fill out the form below to join our community and get access to this guide. This is the final part of our series but you can get all three series here. By joining our community, you also get to enjoy our AWESOME weekly content as well.
Quick Maths (3): How to use your salary/business net income with FSDH Asset Management
Having a money moves mindset means thinking big when it comes to your finances. Welcome to the third part of our Quick Maths series where we’ll be giving you the lowdown of how to master your personal finances in simple ways. We’ve talked about how to generate income to start your business, and how to diversify your funds (even as a low-income earner), now its time to dive even deeper. So… you’ve received that alert now and paid all your bills. What do you do with the rest o the money? Cash out? Call up your girls for a breezy weekend? Nah girl, you need to take a step back, there are more pressing issues. As a career or businesswoman, it’s important to know your bottom line and use it wisely. Your bottom line is what remains after you have removed all expenses from your income. What does your account balance look like after deducting expenses? Is it smiling back at you? Now ask yourself, have you thought of using your last bottom line to increase your next bottom line? We partnered with FSDH Asset Management Ltd to bring you this guide to help you understand ways to use your business net income, known as “bottom line” to your advantage. [bctt tweet=”When you really need to know how well your business/finances are doing, check your bottom line – @fsdhcoralfunds” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Topics this guide will cover: Bottom line – what it means, why it is important and how to make it work for you. What you can do with your bottom line – how to improve your finances by using your bottom line wisely. Figuring out how to make your bottom line work for you might seem difficult, but we are here to make it easier for you. We’ve gotcha, boo! After reading this guide, you’ll understand how to manage your income better and use it to get more resources to keep increasing your bottom line. You’ll also learn to track your spending and get excited about checking your accounts. If you want to keep learning ways to grow your money significantly over time, you shouldn’t miss the next guide because, with every guide, the lessons get deeper. FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD – FSDH AM is a wholly owned subsidiary of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited. They are one of Nigeria’s leading asset management and financial advisory firm. FSDH AM is versatile in financial transactions and investment strategies that meet the need of investors in an emerging economy like Nigeria. They recognize that today’s investors need the services of dedicated and expert professionals to provide them with intelligent investment counsel. Therefore, their strategies are dedicated to preserving investors’ wealth while maximizing the value that they receive. Once you’re through with this guide, visit FSDH Asset Management Ltd to know more and get all your pressing questions answered. Getting access to this guide is easy: just fill out the form below to join our community and get access to this guide, remember this is only part 3, there’s more to come – so stay updated. By joining our community, you also get to enjoy our AWESOME weekly content as well.
Webinar with FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT: How to Save and Slay (Aug 3)
How exactly do you indulge in sipping champagne on a beer budget? You gon’ learn today! First, we’ve taught you How to make your first investment, now its time to learn how to save and SLAY simultaneously. Saving money may sound like one of the hardest things to do when it comes to your finances especially if your income isn’t breaking the bank. But hey, you only need as much as you have right now to save! If you’re wondering how to save money without your slay mode depreciating, then this webinar is for you. SLA in partnership with FBNQuest Asset Management is inviting you to a 45-minute webinar with skilled wealth advisor and financial planner – Emmanuella Ekhaguere, on Friday, August 3rd, 2018. Emmanuella will be giving some tips on how you can to start planning and investing for your future with your current income. [bctt tweet=”Join SLA & @FBNQuest for a webinar on August 3rd to learn how to save and slay.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Some of the topics we’ll cover: Understanding the psychology of money Living your best life through personal finance management Saving hacks for motherland moguls – daily, monthly and long-term Getting S.M.A.R.T about goal settings and how to achieve them Watch Video here: About Emmanuella Emmanuella Ekhaguere is Investment Advisor with at FBNQuest Merchant Bank, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc. She has over 15 years of Agricultural banking and financial planning experience from various Financial Service Institutions. Emmanuella started her career at Kakawa Discount house Limited as a Client Relationship Officer. She later moved to Oceanic Bank (now Ecobank Nigeria). In deepening her passion and experience in Wealth and Investment Banking, Emmanuella joined Metro Capital Advisory Group in 2008. She has an MBA from Aston Business School Birmingham, United Kingdom, and is a certified financial Planner (CFP), from Florida State University (FSU) FBNQuest Asset Management is a subsidiary of FBNQuest Merchant Bank, one of the strongest and most dependable financial groups in Africa. They work with individual and institutional investors to provide a strategy best suited to your investment goals and portfolios, from mutual funds to liquidity management etc.
Quick Maths (2): How to diversify your funds with FSDH Asset Management
Money is a tool…Use it wisely! Welcome to the second part of our Quick Maths series. We’ll be sharing with you financial terms, tips, and tricks to get you ahead of your financial game. In the first part, we discussed various ways for you to generate capital to start your business. In this downloadable guide, we highlighted high-level options you can explore to get capital. Catch up on part one by downloading it here. Now, let’s talk about diversifying money. It’s important to keep tabs on your money, know where each penny is going, and how it will bring you more money because today’s economy is not smiling at all. In this guide brought to you by SLA, in partnership with FSDH Asset Management Ltd, we’ll be showing you different ways to save, protect your savings, and why you shouldn’t have all your eggs in one basket. If you’re wondering how to improve your finances, this guide will help you with some practical ways to get started. Topics this guide will cover: Diversification for low-income earners How to diversify within an asset class It doesn’t matter whether you are a salary earner or a business owner, as long as you have financial goals that you’re looking to achieve, diversifying can help you reach those goals. Roll up your sleeves, tie your hair in a ponytail, grab your pen and journal and get down to work! To keep getting your finances all the way to the top, make sure to follow up on the next guide. FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD – FSDH AM is a wholly owned subsidiary of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited. They are one of Nigeria’s leading asset management and financial advisory firm. FSDH AM is versatile in financial transactions and investment strategies that meet the need of investors in an emerging economy like Nigeria. They recognize that today’s investors need the services of dedicated and expert professionals to provide them with intelligent investment counsel. Therefore, their strategies are dedicated to preserving investors’ wealth while maximizing the value that they receive. Once you’re through with this guide, visit FSDH Asset Management Ltd to know more and get all your pressing questions answered. Getting access to this guide is easy: just fill out the form below to join our community and get access to this guide, remember this is only part 2, there’s more to come – so stay updated. By joining our community, you also get to enjoy our AWESOME weekly content as well.
Quick Maths (1): How to generate income to start a business with FDSH Asset Management
Smart moves early in life can pay BIG long-term….. Now, what’s the point in looking good and slaying when your bank account isn’t smiling back at you? Listen. This is the year to SLAY 100%, and we’re ready to show you how to make money moves the right way. So, are you ready to cash out like Cardi’s got nothing on you? We are partnering with FSDH Asset Management Ltd to share with you a 4 part downloadable guide to enable you to boost your finances. We want to make sure that every Motherland Mogul is prepared to master the money world. [bctt tweet=”Learn how to generate funds to start your business with @FSDHCoralFunds. Click here for more: bit.ly/FsdhGuide1″ via=”no”] Topics this 4 part series will cover: Seed Money: How to generate income (capital) to start a business. Diversifying: Different ways to save and protect savings (for low and high-income earners). Bottom Line: How to use your business net income to your advantage Emergency Funds: Why you must have some investments. Now let’s talk about you. You’re about to start a business but you need capital to begin? Girl, we’ve got you! In this first downloadable guide, we’ve done some Quick Maths for you, highlighting how you can generate capital for your business or launch your new project. First, you need to understand that money does not come for free, as a MotherlandMogul, you have to know what your options are, and work towards them. After reading this first downloadable guide, you’ll understand what moves to make to get closer to your money goals. But what’s next after you get that capital and the bills start rolling in? We have more juice coming your way. To continue learning basic principles that will lead to a happier and healthier financial you, get prepared for our next guide. Because girl, we’re going deeper. FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD – FSDH AM is a wholly owned subsidiary of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited. They are one of Nigeria’s leading asset management and financial advisory firm. FSDH AM is versatile in financial transactions and investment strategies that meet the need of investors in an emerging economy like Nigeria. They recognize that today’s investors need the services of dedicated and expert professionals to provide them with intelligent investment counsel. Therefore, their strategies are dedicated to preserving investors’ wealth while maximizing the value that they receive. Once you’re through with this guide, visit FSDH Asset Management Ltd to know more and get all your pressing questions answered. Getting access to this guide is easy: just fill out the form below to join our community and get access to this guide, remember this is only part 1, there’s more to come – so stay updated. By joining our community, you also get to enjoy our AWESOME weekly content as well.
7 Personal Productivity Tools for every woman
With so much to do in your daily lives, you need some productivity tools that can make you better organized, work smarter, become more effective, and achieve optimal results. Here are a few personal productivity tools that can help you do better in your personal life, work and business. Google Drive Google drive is a cloud storage service by google with which you can back up the files on your various devices in the cloud and access them on any other device across various locations using your gmail ID. You are also able to share files and collaborate with others on projects across different locations. Google drive also helps you create various folders for files to save your files. When devices synced with the google drive app are low on storage space, you can easily save the files on the application and delete them from the device to free storage space. The google drive application gives 15GB free storage space, if you need to use more than this amount of storage space , you can upgrade to the paid plans. Evernote Evernote is an application that lets you collect your thoughts, track them, share them (when you want to) and organize your day to day activities and yearlong goals. With Evernote, you are able share notes with team mates as you brainstorm or work on a project, you can manage team access to your Evernote account. You can also access the app from any device connected to the internet and notes saved on it can be easily searched. The Evernote app has a scanning feature that can be used to capture and register business cards as well as search documents. This app comes with virtual post it notes which can be used to organize and set reminders. Moneyfy Monefy is a personal finance app that’s useful for money management. This app helps you track your spending habits and create charts that clearly show your spending pattern. You can even customize some features on the app to suit your lifestyle – expenses, currency and language. It is easy to create and update detailed transaction lists on this platform (daily, weekly, monthly). The app puts together reports of your transactions at intervals (decided by you); it lets you set monthly budgets, share access with others, back up and export data as required. The basic version of the app is free to use, however, there’s an upgraded version that comes with extra features and you can get access to it for as low as N500/month. Another personal finance app that can complement Monefy is Goodbudget – this app can be applied to help you save for big expenses. Quality Time App Quality Time App; this application lets you know how much time you spend on your phone (hourly, daily and weekly) and how you spend it. With this app, you can easily identify applications on your device that you are addicted to. You can use this app to curb/manage excessive phone usage. There are even features on this app you can activate to alert you (or someone else) when you are spending “too much” time on your phone. A Vision Board A Vision board is built as a representation of where you are going (vision/goal) using images, picture, quotes. It is a goal setting tool on which defined vision/goals are illustrated visually .In a world where there’s so much fighting for your attention, there’s need to define your dreams and focus on them and a vision board can help with that. It is best to place this tool where it can be seen regularly; this lets you constantly feed your subconscious mind with what you want to achieve and how you want to feel. This tunes your mind in on your focus so that it constantly works to bring these dreams to life (whatever you focus on expands). Famous people like Ellen Degeneres and Katy Perry have spoken about how they used vision boards at one time or the other to bring their dreams to life. The process of creating a vision board is engaging; it connects you mentally to your dreams and there are no strict rules to it. You can inspire, motivate and affirm your way to your dreams using this tool. Post It Notes Post it notes are small sticky sheets of paper for taking notes and setting reminders; you can use it to track and organize thoughts by pasting these notes where they can be easily spotted for the required timely action, it comes in very handy when multitasking. These notes are easily pasted or detached from surfaces and leave no stains or residue. Post it notes are visually invasive when compared to software applications but they help direct attention to where it is needed. Virtual post it notes now exists, but I doubt they can take the place of the physical post it notes. Adult coloring Adult coloring is simply coloring for adults; sometimes we need to calm our young, active and energetic minds to prevent burnout and increase focus and concentration. Research shows that coloring has therapeutic benefits for adults; It is said to improve mindfulness and reduce anxiety. This can translate to reduced stress levels as well as better focus and concentration on work. Consider this a good way to manage stress and increase productivity. Adult coloring apps like ColorMe is a good place to start, you can also go for hard cover adult coloring books if that’s your preferred option. Now, go and live your best life! If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.