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Things to Do in the Morning as You Wake Up Before Leaving for Work

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The workplace could be a toxic environment. You want to embrace it because you spend a lot of time at work, but it is challenging. When you see your fellow employees who usually cause a headache or your demanding boss, you start thinking about resignation.

It is crucial for you to think about your morning routine, so there is a part of your day that you enjoy. Once you leave home for work, it might be a long and gruelling battle. These are some crucial things you need to do in the morning as you prepare for work.

Take some quiet time

Before you even start talking to the people around you, it is crucial for you to take some quiet time. Read your morning paper or sip a cup of coffee. You can do whatever relaxes you in silence. You might not have that moment again once your day begins. While you still have it, you need to enjoy it. You could spend around five minutes or so before you bathe.

Meditate

Some people see the value of meditation. You might also understand its importance. This activity allows you to be mindful of your actions. It starts with your breathing. You also need to think about things that make you happy and help you relax. Regular meditation allows you to release your negative thoughts and lets you think of ways to face your problems. It is like pressing a reset button that makes you forget your problems for a while so that you will have a clear mind once you start thinking about them.

Walk around the outdoor area

If you have a backyard at home, you can have a short walk to appreciate how beautiful the morning is. You can sip your coffee while walking around. You do not need to think about anything apart from enjoying the moment. It could last for about ten minutes. You can also walk around the local park if you do not have a backyard. You can do it with a family member or your pet.

Write your thoughts 

You will have a lot of things to do throughout the day. You do not want to miss anything. Therefore, it helps if you start writing your thoughts. You can also create a reminder sheet so that you will know your priorities as you reach the office. Even simple ideas like saying thank you to another person could be a part of your notes. Sometimes, these small things are the ones you usually forget.

Have a nice bath

For most people, they will head to the shower as soon as they wake up in the morning. It is okay if that is your routine. The goal is for you to enjoy it. Make sure that you take your time to not only cleanse your body but also think about your day. Some people who do not have time to walk around or have moments of silence use this opportunity to reflect on life. You can install one of the modern and stylish steam showers available nowadays so that you can enjoy your shower even more. The warm water is relaxing and will soothe you. It will make you forget some problems you face in life.

Try your best to do all these things before you leave home.

Top Business Ideas for Parents

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Every parent wants to be able to provide for their children a life they never had themselves. Though you may hold down a job that keeps the lights on, food in their stomachs, and clothes on their backs, raising a family isn’t cheap. The cost of living continues to rise but salaries often stay the same. In order to give your children the things they need and want, it’s often necessary for parents to find another revenue source.

Home-based businesses have become a popular revenue stream for parents. They are often very affordable to launch and scalable enough that they can be run without quitting your day job (unless that’s your goal). The right business idea could essentially reduce your stress and give you the extra resources you need to support your family. The question is, however, what kind of business would you start?There are literally thousands of options, but here are a few to give you some ideas:

Professional Services

Sometimes, the best business idea is to stick with something you know. Take a look at your career to determine what you’re best at. Since you’re already a professional, you could start your own business providing those services. Someone with administrative and clerical experience might start a virtual assistant business. If you’re skilled in accounting, start your own firm or become a consultant.

Creative Businesses

Would you consider yourself a creative person? If so, you could start a business that showcases your talents. If you can sew, consider becoming a seamstress or create your own clothing line. If you know how to draw or paint, perhaps you start selling those pieces online. Simply research the best platforms to sell your art or crafts as there are several mediums to choose from.

Health and Wellness

If you’re looking to get into an industry that continues to flourish then health and wellness would be it. Everyone’s looking for solutions to improving their health and living a better life and you could cash in while enhancing the lives of others. If you have the proper training and education, you could start your own mobile massage therapy business. All you need is reliable transportation and a few supplies. You can buy a portable massage chair online as well as essential oils, and linens to get started. Other ideas in the health and wellness industry might include a personal trainer, fitness class instructor, or you could sell products like vitamins, supplements, and health food drinks.

Parent Services

If there’s one thing you’re great at, it’s being a parent. So, why not become a boss using those skills? You could start a daycare center in your own home and offer services to parents in the neighborhood. You could start a blog that provides tips, advice, and support for parents. You’ve got years of experience and this will make running the business a lot easier.

You want to afford the best that life has to offer for your family. There’s certainly nothing wrong with wanting the best. Yet when the cost of living and raising a family continues to rise, it can be hard to make that happen. If you’ve got the time, passion, and committment, you could solve the problem by starting your own business. There are lots of things you could do on the side (or full-time) to bring in extra cash. The ticket to making it work is finding something that interests you and correlates with talents, education, and experience you already have. The skies are the limits, hopefully, however, the above-mentioned list has given you some ideas on where to start.

6 Hobbies that Can Lead to a Profitable Career

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Spend enough time and energy getting good at something and, eventually, someone will pay you for it. Or, at least, that’s the conventional wisdom on the matter. Still, many people give up on their hobbies or personal interests simply because they can’t find profitable applications for them. At the end of the day, everyone has bills to pay, and even if you’re not fully satisfied with your job, it’s often preferable to the alternative. However, some activities are worth pursuing further –– at least in the financial sense. Indeed, today we’ll highlight six hobbies that with a little elbow grease and imagination can become a full-time job. Check them out here:

Writing

Keeping a journal is a great way to relieve stress, memorialize important events in your life, and boost your communication skills. What’s more, there are many ways to use a love of writing and editing to profitable effect. Blogging for a business, freelancing, or starting a blog and running advertisements on it are just a few ideas you can start with almost immediately.

Interior Design

Do you love decorating rooms and arranging furniture? If so, then you may have a career as an interior decorator/designer in your future. There’s no substitute for an eye for design, so don’t rule out the possibility of one day designing modern offices or showrooms!

Cooking

Developing a love of cooking is beneficial even if you never make a dollar doing it. That’s because cooking your own meals will improve your diet, your well-being, and help you save money at the same time! However, if you truly enjoy cooking for others –– as so many people do –– then working in the restaurant industry is something you should think about.

Brewing

The craft-beer boom of the past ten years has given hope to anyone who’s ever brewed their own beer in a garage or basement. Starting your own craft brewery will probably be a lot of fun, but it will also require a lot of hard work in order to make money consistently. Keep this in mind if you’re considering this as a serious career choice.

Gardening

There are few activities more relaxing or rewarding than tending a garden. Fortunately, you can also pick up some extra scratch by selling excess produce or by helping other people in the community set up their own gardens.

Exercise

Some individuals love exercising so much that they’re able to share their passion with others as physical trainers and coaches. Note, trainers do have to possess a deep understanding of exercise equipment, dietary best practices, and the science behind healthy living –– as well as a love of hitting the gym!

4 Ways to Plan Towards Your Family’s Future

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Your family is something in some cases you can choose and in others, people that are given to you. Nevertheless, if you have one, you probably want to give them the best of your time and resources while you can. One of the ways to do this is to plan towards their future. Everyone has a different vision for their family, and this means that how they plan and what’s on their agenda may be different from yours. Even though this may be the case, there are still some common themes that every family shares when it comes to prepping for the future. Here are four in particular that you can use when planning your family’s future.

Save Towards College

If you don’t already have kids over the age of 18, then you may be thinking about what they’re going to do when it’s time to spread their wings and go off to college. If you want to help them pay some or all of their tuition, then you should begin saving towards it now. To save for their college tuition, see if your state has a 529 plan to help you save. How it works is that you save after-tax dollars to the account and they are invested as well as allowed to grow tax-free.

You may also want to try ROTH IRAs, but the downside is that you don’t get a tax deduction for your contributions. A major difference between the two is that the 529 plan has to be used for higher education or you’ll be given a 10% penalty while the ROTH IRA can be used for anything.

Think About Health

When planning your family’s future, health is a major thing to think about. This is because the healthier your family is, the fewer worries you have and the less it will cost you in healthcare bills. Think about how you can grow a healthy family by examining what you’re eating and how active you are. To raise a healthy family, try sticking to fresh foods where possible. Go on adventures that require physical activity to encourage fitness and help you maintain healthy weights.

In addition to this, mental health is important too so make sure you’re talking about every and anything. Make your home somewhere everyone feels safe to be open, honest and themselves.

Plan for Post-retirement

People don’t like to think about what’s going to happen to them in their older years out of a fear of old age amongst other reasons. However, thinking about how you’re going to live in your older years and planning for contingencies like failing health is important.

You may want to think about investing in long-term care insurance so that you get the care and attention you need later on in life if you think it’s a good option for you. You can see a range of long-term care insurance providers on Insurance Geek and compare to see which is most affordable.

Save Enough

Money is important when raising a family, especially if you want more flexibility and better quality of life. Set up a family budget and get everyone involved so they understand what you’re spending on and why. It’s also a way to make sure your loved ones learn essential money-management skills that will carry them through life.

Planning your family’s future is important, especially in your post-retirement years. You want to know that your kids have the best opportunities and you can retire without having to worry about how you’ll cope on a daily basis.

The Baby Boomers and Their Future Needs

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There has been a lot of talk about the baby boomer generation this past decade. Born into the booming post World War II economy, the baby boomers were able to accomplish feats never before seen in human history, such as the launching of the Voyager 1 probe (the first man-made object to leave the solar system), and making seat belts mandatory in all legal road vehicles.

The Post WWII Baby Boom of 1946 – 1964

The baby boomer generation consists of persons that were born between the years of 1946 and 1964 in the US. Today they are roughly 54 to 72 years old, and many do reside or will reside in Residential Assisted Living facilities. Seniors do want to stay in their homes as long as possible, but it’s good to have another plan in case staying in their home is not an option.

A Standard of Living Unprecedented in Human History

One of the most notable qualities of the baby boomer generation is that they were privileged to live in a time period that could be considered the peak of the middle class and enjoy a standard of living that has never been seen before throughout history. This is, of course, thanks to the post-WWII economic boom mentioned before, which can be credited to the actions of past generations, and a perfect storm of economic factors.

The baby boomer generation is aging. They have needs that will have to be met in the coming years. Care centers will be in great demand. There would be great investment opportunities for those looking ahead to this need. No matter what community you might live in, there is a need for assisted living centers and the need will continue to grow.

In the United States right now, there are over 46 million people over age 65. It is said that 40% of Americans over 65 years old will need to live in some type of senior care community or an assisted living center at some point in their lives. Over the next decade, as the aging population increases, the number of those in the United States who need assisted living or memory care centers will be approximately 11 million. The demand will be high. Right now, there are not enough centers to handle this growth. That is why it will be vital to have more residential assisted living centers built and staffed.

Twilight of the Boomers – Assisted Living vs Nursing Homes

As many boomers enjoy their retirement, it comes time to begin preparing for their final days. As they grow older and it becomes harder for them to care for themselves, assisted living and nursing homes become a necessity.

The difference between assisted living and a nursing home boils down to a few things. Nursing homes are typically for the elderly who have completely lost the ability to care for themselves or have health problems that require constant attention. On the other hand, assisted living allows more freedom and independence, and is a great option for the boomers who can still take care of themselves on a day to day basis, more or less.

Assisted living centers offer entertainment, meals, socializing, freedom to come and go, and a room of their own. There is a nurse on the premises to help a tenant, if needed, but it is not like a hospital. Another great thing about the assisted living center is that there are housekeeping services to do the cleaning for the tenants. This is a great plus for those living there. You should plan on touring one and get more information about them.

If you’re a baby boomer, or have one in your life, you should be looking into making arrangements for assisted living, or nursing home care, depending on your situation. The sooner you get started the better, and the more research you do, the better off you’ll be when it comes time to take action. For investing purposes, talk to a professional to see if investing in an assisted living center is the right things for you. It could be a very good investment in the future.

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We left our home in Sydney, Australia many moons ago in May 2012 and, other than a brief stint back in Perth for Christmas and a wedding in early 2014, we have been travelling the world nomadically ever since, running a business from our laptops and we’re here to show you how to do it!