The human mind is truly incredible, and we should all strive towards creating a tenacious memory we can rely on. Many lucrative professions or hobbies require such a traitactors, musicians, artists and entertainers in general do countless drills, just so the required information can be embedded in the memory with certainty. Clearly numerous doors that lead to a successful future are unlocked if one has a great memory. Although beneficial, it is not an essential ingredient within the success formulawhat you lack in memory can always be compensated with diligence.
Keeping track of crucial elements in your life through list-making is still an unrivaled tactic for counterbalancing feeble recollection. By utilizing constant reminders, we can have significantly greater organization, we wont be under the impression we have forgotten something, and we will have a clear insight into which task has a stamp of immediacy attached to it. Here are ten suggested lists that warrant implementation, in order to track achievements and nurture ambition.
1. List of Goals
What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.
Zig Ziglar
Goals and ambition is what drives us and motivates us, but we need to ask ourselves what is it that we want in order to feel truly accomplished. Your list of goals should consists of all the items that you deem are necessary to truly respect yourself. It can be financial stability, a place you can call your own, starting your family, being independent, etc. People have different criteria when it comes to goals, and this list in particular is ever-growing; it changes as you mature, but it always feels great when you cross something out of it. Without such a list, you lose direction of where your life is heading, and we all need some inner guidance to focus ona good reason to get up in the morning.
2. List of Tasks
Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.
Theodore Isaac Rubin
Tasks are actually milestones on the road to goal completion, and these lists have a tendency to become quite copious. New tasks emerge on a daily basis, regardless of whether you are an employee, a student, or a freelancer. Despite the fact that they are arduous, we always have some sense of achievement once the task is complete, or when a certain problem is solved. By avoiding to make such lists and lists of our daily tasks, theyll simply pile up and eventually become a hindrance.
In the event you have larger tasks that need more than a day, a week or a month before they can be completed, then break those tasks into smaller daily assignments, and put them on the list as well. As long as you monitor larger tasks while completing minor daily milestones, you will have a greater grip on progression and continuous source of motivation. List and sticky notes are actually quite potent tools for increase in productivity, especially while we are working from home.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning that you should also have a list of personal tasks, or tasks you do for the sake of self-fulfillment. These are related to your personal goals, and governing passionswriting a book, painting, crafting etc. These tasks will define you and offer a much greater sense of achievement, so give it your all to create something you can be proud of.
3. List of Contacts
Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.
Aristotle
It would be delusional to assume you can make it all on your own; however, at the same time, a flawed partnership can result in disastrous outcome as well. It is extremely difficult to find compatible allies and contacts, since friends and familyin other words, people close to youmay not be the best choicefor a business partner. If you want to enter into a partnership with someone, make sure the person shares the same vision. Tread lightly and try to ascertain your potential partners level of reliability.
Throughout life, we come across skillful, capable and talented people, whose competence might be needed in the future, depending on your line of work of course. Do not be hesitant to offer a helping hand when they are in need, since you can gain a valuable contact. The point being: make a special list of all important contacts, like reliable programmers, handymen, lawyers, etc. Remember not to only reach out when you are in need. You need to maintain a healthy and natural relationship and be there for those people if they require your assistance. Truth be told, it can be arduous to forge strong friendship bonds, but having important acquaintances and becoming an important acquaintance is very much possible.
Without such a list, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to possible future complications; moreover, make sure this list is well-kept since once you lose a contact like this one, it can be somewhat troublesome to recover such data. Just be sure you have recovery data tools at your disposal to mitigate the damage if something were to happen to your phone.
4. List of Expenses
A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart.
Jonathan Swift
This may be a quite mundane piece of advice, yet it is very often neglected. As we all know, there are two types of expenses: those that are necessary, [bills, taxes, food] and those expenditures used for indulging some personal cravings. There is a degree of restraint that the majority of us lack in order to approach the matter with a satisfying level of prudence. To say it bluntly, we treat ourwants like our needs, and necessities and primary obligations are pushed in the background. Of course, this may sound a bit exaggerated, but the truth is the pressure of a consumers culture eventually becomes overwhelming, resulting in a purchase we shouldnt be able to afford at the time. This kind of behavior can be avoided byutilizing lists, and turning them into an omnipresent reminder of what is truly important.
By making lists of all the monthly expenses we are obligated to pay, well have a clear overview with how much resources are there at our disposal. On the other hand, without this list filled with meticulous calculations, we are prone to believing that we have more freedom to engage in a shopping spree, ultimately causing our bills to pile up; thus, we end up a step closer to a financial suicide. Handling finances properly, or the fact that we prioritize the costs of living, is a responsibility that signifies maturity. Success is commonly measured by the amount of wealth and without adequate spending tactics, you prevent its accumulation.
5. List of Useful Tools
If youre the type of person who has to fulfill your dreams, youve got to be resourceful to make sure you can do it.
Vin Diesel
Todays society vastly depends on the use of technologywe exchange information, conduct calculations, measure time, etc. This level of reliability also suggests liability. If something were to happen to our cell phone or personal computer, it would be a sizable setback that could harm our capabilities severely. As mentioned, losing contacts can truly be troublesome. It is even worse however, to have your lifes work lost and compromised.
Useful tools are not only limited to recovering damage; they also encompass tools that make your job easier. With efficiency and a greater level of competence, you are a step closer toward success. Using the right apps and tools can make up for our lack of skills in a particular area, or simply help us manage our work in a more timely manner. Keeping a list of useful tools will come in handy whenever you are faced with more common problems, like finding a good restaurant for a business dinner, driving through unfamiliar terrain, task management, learning, and there are even tools capable of helping you recover stolen property.
Even though the list is not as crucial as the ones mentioned so far, it is undeniable that having it can save you a lot of time if the need for it ever arises. The Internet is a vast sea of both useful and useless tools, and by filtering out those thatare irrelevant, you wont have to conduct countless searches when you are in need of adequate tools for problem solving.
6. List of Self Improvements
The minute that youre not learning I believe youre dead.
Jack Nicholson
Reasonable to assume this one is unavoidable, and it always deserves to be mentioned. It is safe to assume we are all aware of our shortcomings; if not all of them at least some of them. Think about yourself, make a list of all the things you would like to improve or change, then consider how to implement those changes. Despite the fact that those who are close to you do not pressure you into changing or improving, you should always make constant endeavours to do so, for your own sake.
The list of improvements should consist of physical changes, changes spiritual in nature, abandoning bad habits etc. No one expects you to change entirely in a short time period, but making a decision to change one thing on a yearly basis is a viable resolution, quite easy to execute. The list is there simply to remind you which improvement to prioritize, and build up your confidence after each completion. Refusing to change can either result in lack of confidence and depression, or becoming an overconfident and self-absorbed person that no one will tolerate for long; both of these traits are contradictory to your quest for a successful future.
7. List of Creative Ideas
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Waldo Emerson
Throughout history, people who made the most significant impact on the world were those with a revolutionary way of thinking, those who dared to challenge the established order and alter the status quo. For an idea to be classified as creative, it needs to be new, it needs to make sense, and it needs to have some sort of use. For example, creating something to help the disabled communicate online, or simply typethat way, people who have lost their limbs could blog or become creative writers, and show the world a piece of their mind. Thus a keyboard in a form of braces could enable them to type using their tongue; however I am not an engineer, so I do not know whether something like this is possible.
Whenever a new idea comes to your mind write it down, then browse the web to see if you indeed have stumbled upon something ground-breaking. Once your list has grown, then you need to start pondering on the subject to see whether it holds closer scrutiny. Ask for a second opinion and see what you would need to realize your idea. In a majority of cases, this is how successful people are created. Rest assured that it is very possible that people wont be impressed with your creativity as much as you are, but do not allow yourself to be discouragedafter all, perseverance has a crucial role in a career as well. Monitoring your thoughts incites productive thinking and hones your focus; it keeps our mind occupied. Letting your good ideas slide is only a wasted potential that will put your progress in a halt.
8. List of Future Plans
The future is uncertain but the end is always near.
Jim Morrison
We have all heard statements like Tomorrow is a mystery, Live for today, and You cant affect the future. Personally, I heavily disagree with such a point of view. Although I do agree that, in particular circumstances, making plans for the future is doing Sisyphus work, not planning it at all seems utterly mortifying. I also believe that everyone makes some sort of plan; the problem is this fear of uncertainty that thwarts our will to act.
To make your resolve more adamant, compile a list of your future plans, see what you need in order to make them come true. This one is very similar to the first listthe one with goals; the difference is, it does not have to involve your personal future. Rather, it is list of upcoming important events, important changes in law, or upcoming trends, useful software, etc. It will keep you well-informed and prepared, since staying updated and relevant are essential virtues for lucrative businessmen.
9. List of Contingency Plans
You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. Thats a part of it.
Denzel Washington
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, meaning there is nothing you can do without consequences. Every attempt to be more successful usually has a set of barriers attached to it, or risks. Even though risks are inevitable, being prepared for the aftermath is always a good and necessary thing. When you plan your business incentives, or when you plan to invest in something, make sure you compose a thorough pros and cons list, as well as a list of possible negative scenarios. In the event that positive aspects outweigh the negative ones, you can be more encouraged to proceed further.
Make an effort to be constantly prepared for the backlash of major initiatives, and contain the possible damage. The lack of contingency implies recklessness, and it was adamantly made clear how this approach contradicts advancement. Make leaps of faith only when you have no other options to explore.
10. Bucket List
The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and for deeds left undone.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Finally, learn to live for the sake of experiencing what life has to offer. It is invigorating, to say the least, and it keeps your regrets at minimum. One of the reasons why we want to be successful is to actually fulfil our dreams or complete our bucket list, to look back on our life during old age with a warm smile rather than a frown. Feel free to put even the impossible things on your bucket list, and find the next best thing using your creativity. Whenever you reach a rough patch in your life, take a look at you bucket list and see what is the most plausible thing to do in order to restore your will power and keep going.
Living a life of perpetual travel is pretty exciting new destinations, new cultures and new incredible people to meet and hang out with! However, working on the road can get pretty hectic at times. As a digital nomad I have found myself in rather awkward situations a lot from missed deadlines due to incorrect time zone conversion to a nearly missed plane when I forgot to print out my booking and confused the time [I did catch that plane though!].
Being your own boss is equally awesome and hellish. Juggling numerous tasks at once and getting things done super-fast with a terrible wi-fi connection requirea killer organizational skills and zen-like concentration. Try using the next 20 websites and apps to make your life as a digital nomad easier, less stressful and even more exciting!
1. Trello
Trello is your go-to website to stay organized and work super-efficiently on the road. Its a free service that allows you to create numerous boards for your ongoing projects and plans. Tired of having numerous notes scattered around different apps and lengthy email threads with your clients or team? Just drag and drop them all to Trello, where you can easily collaborate, quickly exchange ideas and notes in the form of cards, leave comments and track the overall progress of the project. You can create numerous boards and organize them the way you like, upload files to each, set deadlines and notifications, plus easily share everything with one click.
My Trello contains two sets of boards personal and business. I use the first to keep all my travel plans neat and make sure I wont confuse the flight time or overstay my visa; the second to keep a visual account of my personal goals and various arrangements. The business board is where I have a list of ongoing projects composed into simple to-dos with their current statuses along with all the comments from my clients and a separate column for follow-ups.
Trello is an incredible free alternative to similar project management softwares I used before and it can be used for tackling any job from house renovation to multi-stage marketing campaign! Also available as an app for iOS and Android devices to get updates on the go.
2. f.lux
As a digital nomad you often find yourself working late at night or early morning to keep up with your clients time zones. Love checking your email or reading a few articles from your iPad before going to bed? [I do!]. Even if you dont feel it yet, your eyes are seriously suffering from those habits and you can end up having troubles with sleeping as the blue light from your devices negatively impacts your sleeping patterns. Use f.lux a handy software that will automatically adjust the color of your computers display to the time of day warm at night and like sunlight during the day. F.lux allowed me to be more productive in the mornings and made it easier to slow down my activity in the evenings. As a digital nomad it is essential to stay refreshed as your income depends solely on your productivity. Besides, havent we escaped the cubicle to have a better work/life balance and more rest in the first place?
3. Focus@Will
As we often find ourselves working at various places around the globe from a crowded bus station to a jam-packed bar [the only place that has decent wi-fi in the area] concentrating on your work gets extremely difficult. Thats where Focus@Will comes to rescue. The service offers a wide selection of white noise and simple tunes selected according to a neuroscience-based approach. It seems to work pretty great as I stayed way more concentrated on my work compared to the times when I just blasted my favorite tunes and murmured along. A 30-day free trial has a limited selection of tracks and will stop playing them in an hour [although it could be restarted immediately]. The paid service will cost you around $10 for three months. Also available as a free app for iOS and Android devices.
4. Shopify
Lets admit it, being a digital nomad and working solo gets challenging at times. There are days when you feel like a Renaissance man trying to tackle all things at once and getting expertise in numerous areas. Thats especially true when you are just about to launch your business website, blog or an online store. If you are a creative, you have only basic knowledge [if any] in CSS, HTML or integrated payment systems, so you spend endless hours figuring out how things work instead of doing what you are really good at and earning money.
Try Shopify a service providing custom no-hassle ecommerce solutions. They offer everything from secure hosting and mobile-optimized websites to secure check-outs with some 70 payment getaways to choose from and assistance with running your online marketing campaign. The rates are incredibly affordable and start from just $29 per month for unlimited access to all their services and features or opt for a 14 day free trial to test them out first!
5. Rescue Time
Proper time management is another great struggle all digital workers face. How many times you have found yourself spending over 12 hours a day in front of your screen and not having all things done? Yeah, it happens to me quite in a while, so Ive started using Rescue Time to stay on top of my productivity while still having a normal work/life balance. Install it on your computer and all devices to have an accurate picture of how much time you spend doing certain activities or browsing certain sites [khm..cat videos on YouTube]. At the end of each week youll receive an email with a fair statement on your [un]productivity.
Rescue Time enables you to give more accurate deadlines to your clients; create accurate hourly invoices as you know exactly how much time youve spent doing a certain task and adjusting your rates accordingly and eliminate random activity during your working hours. You can use Light Rescue Time version for free or opt for the premium plan at $6 per month.
6. Every Time Zone
As you probably work with people based anywhere from New Zealand to the West Coast keeping an eye on the deadline or updating them on your progress at 9 am each day may get tricky. Just as sending follow-ups, project proposals and invoices at the right time of the day. Every Time Zone is another great solution for keeping proper track of the time your clients time. Add all time zones you need, add your time in the marker at the top and see where this lands in everyone elses day. No more crazy maths with figuring out when do you need to ring up Joe on Skype if he asked to do that at 11 am EST.
7. XE Currency
How many currencies do you have in your wallet? My guess is more than two. As a digital nomad and perpetual traveler you have to keep track on the conversion rates and different currencies all the time. To make sure you are charging an equally fair price in USD/EU/GBP or any other currency out there use XE Currency. Get live conversion rates instantly or add up a list of your preferred and sync ahead of time to have instant offline access from any device. XE Currency is available as a web service, iOS, Android, Windows Phone apps and more.
8. Trail Wallet
My second essential money app for digital nomads is Trail Wallet [currently iOS only]. Its a beautifully crafted and easy-to-use app for tracking your expenses across multiple countries and currencies. You can organize your spendings by country or my month, set max daily budgets and add each dollar youve spent on the go. At the end of the month the app will tell you if you gone over your budget or where exactly did the cash flow. Its perfect for analyzing the cost of living and working at different cities and countries, thus finding the optimal home-base for you when you get tired of being on the road and need to settle down for a while.
9. Xero
And to keep better track of your business-related expenses try Xero. Arguably, the best online bookkeeping and accounting service out there for all the non-accountants. Its perfect for sending invoices, keeping track of the cash-flow and setting payment notifications on credit cards and recruiting payments. It neatly categorizes all your bank transactions and reconciles them with the transactions you have made in Xero to keep things even more simple. Available for numerous iOS and Android devices, so you can always have access to your data at no time.
10. Tripit
Tripit is one of the best travel planners out there! Its free, fast and most importantly works off-line. Just say no more to papers and lost emails. Forward all your booking confirmations hotels, flights, car rental etc and let the app do all the magic for you by turning it into an easy-to-follow itinerary. You can set up notifications and get access to your data from any device without internet connection. Tripit reduced my frustration of arriving to the wrong terminal or roaming around the new city with my baggage as I havent written down the hotel address correctly. Its a great app I seriously recommend using it to basically anyone who travels.
11. 1Password
Sharing sensitive data, especially passwords with your clients or team and keeping track of them can get challenging. Thats why Ive started using 1Password a super secure password-sharing service that allows you to create special vaults with a set of passwords to tools and services only accessible to the people youve shared it with. Available for numerous devices, the service gives you peace of mind when sharing anything sensitive via unprotected networks. Speaking of which
12. Private Internet Access
Keep all your data and computer protected by opting for Private Internet Access. Often we need to make those last minute payments or credit card purchases and the only internet available is a suspicious unprotected network your device somehow found. By using an anonymous encrypted VPN and a private IP you can be 100% sure none of your payment data will be fished or passwords stolen.
13. Workfrom
Find the best coffee shops and cafes in your area with this service. Workfrom has a great pool of venues in major US cities New York, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and more destinations worldwide to be added soon! The service is free to join and youll get access to numerous cool spots with unbiased opinions of wi-fi connection and cappuccino quality from digital nomads just like you. Reviews also include price range, meals available, general atmosphere and noise range, along with some pro-tips on where to find sockets and which table is the most secluded. I have discovered some of my all time favorites this way like Mr Bean in Amsterdam.
14. Spotted by Locals
Another awesome service to discover good meals and thrilling events at your current base. Spotted by Locals is not that typical city guide with boring touristy routes, but an amazing resources with awesome recommendations from the locals on things to do and places to check out. After all, youve chosen a location independent lifestyle to explore the world more, not just spend hours tapping on the keywords in a different environment.
Currently, the website has numerous recommendations for all major European cities Paris, Madrid, Vienna, Warsaw and many more, plus it gradually expands into North America with Boston, LA, Toronto and Montreal guides recently added. You can browse around the free categorized selection of activities at the website or pay$ 2.99 for a PDF guide with all tips and places neatly listed on the map. Or opt for iOS or Android app [$3.99 each] to gain offline access to one of the city guides along with a detailed map.
15. Jawbone UP
Now when you know where to go and what to see, heres a handy app that will help you get unstuck from your laptop. Jawbone UP will gently nag you when its time to get up and unwind a bit. Install the app and connect it to all your hardware, than let the Up Activity Tracker [a lovely bracelet] analyze your sleeping and activity patterns to help you creating a better lifestyle. The app will monitor and analyze all your actions and suggest you a healthier schedule, help you sleep better and keep up with the exercise routine [which gets erratic when you are on the move]. Why do we need more time if we dont spend it wise, right? The app is free for iOS and Android, however youll have to pay 129$ for the bracelet tracker or 49.99$ for the clip.
16. SugarSync
Some like DropBox, others opt for Google Drive, yet my go-to cloud storage service is SugarSync. Its simpler, more powerful and has a really slick design. After you install it, you just need to right-click the file/folder to instantly back them up at the cloud. Besides, any further change you make to that data will be automatically synchronized. Large files get uploaded extra fast and you can get 250 GB storage space for just $99.99 per year. Also you can access, share and edit all your files via free iOS or Android app supported on numerous devices. Now, Ive finally stopped worrying what should I do if my laptop gets broken/stolen.
17. Contactually
If you dont like to get broke and return home, you have to invest a fair share of your time in building ongoing relationships with your clients, vendors or customers depending on what do you do for a living. To avoid this whole thing becoming a huge pain try using Contactually a simple, yet powerful service that will tell you when and whom you should keep in touch with and how you could maximize your ROI by connecting with the right people at the right time. It will send you notifications when youve fallen out of touch with certain contacts [which can mean missed opportunities in the perspective] and prompt when you should reconnect with the most important contacts from your network by providing helpful context clues like social updates and recent conversations to make the whole thing look more genuine. The service boasts that their users get up to 40% more referrals after using their service [backed by case studies] which is kind of essential for you if youd like to live the nomadic life and work for yourself!
18. Schedule Once
If you are working on multiple projects with multiple clients at a time Schedule Once is your kick-ass service to schedule online meetings and conferences. Create a sleek pre-set calendar when you are available and send people a unique link that allows them to select a suitable time for both of you to connect. The service is fantastic for anyone offering consulting services or coaching sessions and costs just 5$ per month!
19. Spaxtel
Sometimes the internet gets so crappy that calling by Skype is impossible. Or you have a very-very important conversation scheduled and you dont want any possible glitches to interrupt you. Thats when its worth using Spaxtel a cool service that enables you to make land-line quality phone calls via callback. You dont need to install any software or have internet access. The rates depends on the quality of call you choose [the lowest discount is pretty great] and the countries from/to you are calling. So far, the price proved to be nearly Skype-affordable for a better overall quality of connection.
20. Earth Class Mail
Snail mail isnt that popular these days, but you still get some important stuff via it. Say bills and some paychecks. If you dont want to bug your parents or friends to deal with your mail while you are out, try using Earth Mail Class an affordable mail forwarding service that scans and forwards your mail to the e-mail address of your choice, deposits your checks [for a fee], saves PDFs of your postal mail online and offers in-person pickup and package signing.
Featured photo credit: Avi Richards via unsplash.com