Have More Energy All Day Long

3 Ways to Get Going

One morning not long ago my motivation was at a major low point.
I had plans to meet a friend at Zumba, but when I woke at 7 a.m., it was raining, I had a cramp in my leg, and, frankly, staying in bed and finishing that dream about Jake Gyllenhaal seemed a thousand times more appealing than yanking off the covers and heading out into the gray gloom. But then I heard an urgent whisper in my ear: "Get up and get your workout out of the way now; you can always rest later!" It was Janet Evans speaking. Yes, that Janet Evans, the Olympic swimmer who won four gold medals at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games. She mentioned this mantra in an interview I watched decades ago. I stuck it in my back pocket back then, and I pull it out for the ultimate kick in the butt when I need it most.
Mantras, rewards, and other little tricks of the mind can be the perfect way to jump-start your motivation on days your energy is lagging, says sports psychologist JoAnn Dahlkoetter, PhD, the author of Your Performing Edge. "If you find a ritual that works for you and repeat it over time, your body will instantly respond when you need that extra push," she says. So I decided to ask a few world-class athletes, trainers, psychologists, and FITNESS readers how they get motivated to move it.

Get mojo from your mini-me.

"When I used to swim, it was always for external goals, like scholarships or world records," ex­plains Evans, who, as a 40-year-old mother of two, came back to the games after 16 years, hoping to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. "Now it's more personal. I remind myself that I'm showing my 5-year-old daughter that if you set a goal and work hard for it, you can achieve anything. Yesterday she said to me, 'Mommy, you smell like chlorine.' And I said, 'Get used to it, girl!'"

Go for instant gratification.

Sure, working out can help lower your risk for cancer, heart disease, and a slew of other scary illnesses. But those long-term benefits seem awfully abstract when you're trying to tear yourself away from New Girl to go to the gym. "Our research found that the women who stick with exercise programs are the ones who do it for benefits they can experience immediately, such as having more energy or feeling less stress," says Michelle Segar, PhD, the associate director of the University of Michigan Sport, Health and Activity Research and Policy Center for Women and Girls. She suggests starting a journal to jot down reasons to exercise that will pay off today — to be more alert for an afternoon meeting, to snap less at your kids — and reviewing it when you need a push. So long, Zooey Deschanel; hello, treadmill.

Star in a mental movie.

"Visualization is a great tool: I see myself at my healthiest, fittest, and strongest, doing different athletic endeavors. This motivates me to go the extra mile and skip the junk food," says Jennifer Cassetta, a celebrity trainer and holistic nutritionist in Los Angeles. "Picturing yourself accomplishing something may create a neural pathway in your brain in almost the same way as actually com­pleting the feat would," explains Kathleen Martin Ginis, PhD, a professor of health and exercise psychology at McMaster University in Canada. "It also gives you a burst of confidence that you can succeed, which makes you more likely to continue your training." Use all five senses to make your internal blockbuster as realistic as possible: See the clock at the finish line, hear the roar of the crowd as you turn the final corner of the race, and feel your arms pumping as you stride across those last few yards.

3 Tips to Get Pumped Up

Use mint over matter.

If you need an extra kick to get yourself out of that desk chair and onto the stationary bike, pop a stick of peppermint gum into your mouth. "The peppermint scent activates the area of our brain that puts us to sleep at night and wakes us up in the morning," explains researcher Bryan Raudenbush, PhD, a professor of psychology at Wheeling Jesuit University. "More stimulation in this area of the brain leads to more energy and motivation to perform your athletic tasks."

Repeat yourself.

Feeling discouraged? Do a workout you know you can rock. In a study of more than 5,000 people, published in the journal BMC Public Health, researchers found that those who were confident they could keep up an exercise routine were the ones who would do it regularly. "It's a self-fulfilling prophecy," sports psychologist Kathryn Wilder, PhD, says. "The more you believe you can complete the workout program, the more you'll actually follow through with it." Let's say you dream of running a marathon, but the longest race you've done is a half, and the full 26.2 miles gives you the heebie-jeebies. Build up your confidence by registering for one more half before you move on to a longer distance.

Get it over with.

Researchers in the United Kingdom have figured out a possible reason morning exercisers tend to keep at their fitness routine. In a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, subjects were able to bike for 18 percent longer after watching a movie than after doing 90 minutes of mental exercises on a computer. Why? All that thinking makes you feel tired before you've actually exhausted your muscles. So the worst time to go to the gym is when you're mentally kaput after a stressful day at work. Trouble is, bouncing out of bed and into your sneaks is easier said than done. My trick? Good old bribery — of the caffeinated variety. If I make it to that morning class, I reward myself with a Starbucks on the way home. But if I stay under the covers, my morning mug is sludgy: I'm stuck microwaving the leftover coffee in the refrigerator.

3 More Energizing Strategies

Let go of your inner geek.

A study from the University of Alberta in Canada found that humiliation in gym class (dodgeball, anyone?) can turn people off from fitness for good. Amy Hanna, 44, of New York City can relate. "I was a klutzy kid who hated PE," she says. "But when I started working out as an adult, I realized that it's about meeting my own goals, like running 10 miles or squatting my body weight. When a couple of women I know recently asked me to help them get in shape, I knew that the horrors of junior high gym were behind me." Reminding yourself that you're not being judged or graded can help you shake off the PE-class blues, says Billy Strean, PhD, a professor of physical education at the University of Alberta. "Going to the gym isn't about performing for someone else," he explains. "The only person you have to impress is yourself."

Engage in friendly competition.

Hop on a stationary bike next to someone who's superfit and you'll be motivated to work even harder, according to a new study from Santa Clara University, which found that college students who exercised with a fitter partner exerted themselves more. Ask a friend whose abs you admire if you can tag along on her next workout, or introduce yourself to that superstar in your Spinning class and make sure always to grab a bike next to hers.

Read about it.

When world-champion indoor track star Lolo Jones needs a little extra oomph, she heads to the bookstore. "If you're in a lull, the best thing to do is to pick up a book about your sport," Jones says. "Go read about running or biking or whatever your passion is. You'll be eager to try out the tips you learn." We love getting lost in the life stories of amazing athletes. Two new titles to check out: Solo: A Memoir of Hope, about Hope Solo's rise to superstardom as the U.S. women's soccer team goalkeeper and an Olympic gold medalist, and Road to Valor, a must-read for history buffs about two-time Tour de France winner Gino Bartali, who helped Italian Jews escape persecution during World War II.

3 Ways to Stay Motivated

Join the club.

"When I talk to my nonrunning friends about my workouts, their eyes tend to glaze over, so I joined a local track club," says Lisa Smith, 43, of Brooklyn. "It's great to share stories with them, and the social aspect keeps me com­ing back and working harder." In addition to the camaraderie and support, group training fosters a healthy sense of guilt, Martin Ginis says: You don't want to let down the team by blowing off a workout. "Talking to your friends can also distract you when you're exhausted and tempted to quit," Smith says. Find a gang to pass the miles with at the Road Runners Club of America's website at rrca.org. If you have kids, check out seemommyrun.com, which has more than 5,400 jogging groups throughout the United States.

Tuck in early.

Turns out, getting more zzz's could put a little pep in your step. In one Stanford University study, when basketball players logged 10 hours or more in bed a night for five to seven weeks, they sprinted faster, made more accurate shots, and felt less fatigued. Con­sistently going to bed 30 or 45 minutes earlier instead of watching TV or surfing the Web may well pay off at the gym.

Fine-tune your workout.

Lindsey Vonn, the Olympic champion downhill skier, psychs herself up with boom­ing bass and rocking rhymes. "Listening to rap — Lil Wayne, Drake, Jay-Z — in the morning before my races gets me fired up to go 90 miles per hour," she explains. She's onto something. According to research at Brunel University in England, listening to music can increase your endurance by 15 percent because your brain gets distracted by the songs and may miss the "I'm tired" signal. Plus the emotional connection to beloved tunes can give you a sense of euphoria that keeps you going. Maximize your musical motivation with apps that sync your playlist to your pace, like Lolo BeatBurn for the treadmill and elliptical trainer ($4 each, iTunes store) and RecordBeater ($5, Android Market).

Eight Steps to Buying a New Car

The following steps will show you how to locate, price and negotiate to buy the new car you want. Using this information could save you thousands of dollars on a new car and make the process quicker and enjoyable. It also puts you in charge of the deal-making process — and that feeling of empowerment is a good one.
But first things first: You need to decide what car you want to buy. If you haven't done that yet, please check out our "10 Steps to Finding the Right Car for You." Then head back here once you have chosen the right car.
And if you have any questions along the way, please reach out to the Edmunds.com Live Help team for free assistance. The team will work hard to make your car shopping experience the best one yet.
Step 1: Get Approved for a Car Loan
A powerful first step in the car buying process is to get approved for a loan. (If you have decided to lease your new car, things proceed a little differently, so please read "10 Steps to Leasing a New Car.") Getting approved for a loan from a bank, credit union or online lender will show you what interest rate you qualify for. If the interest rate offered is unexpectedly high, you will know that there are problems with your credit history that need to be resolved before you move forward. Getting approved in advance will also mean you can negotiate at the dealership as a cash buyer, which is much easier. You can still accept dealership financing, but getting approved before you even walk into the dealership will be the bargaining chip to get you the best interest rate.
Step 2: Price Your Car and Your Trade-in
Everyone knows that the price of a new car is usually negotiable. But how much of a discount can you expect? Edmunds.com's True Market Value (TMV^®) pricing uses actual sales figures to reveal the average price buyers are paying for cars in your area. Edmunds TMV adjusts the price for other factors including incentives, options and color.
Using Edmunds TMV, you can see the price of the car you want to buy, and also the price of your trade-in, if you have one. Choose the make, model and year of the car you want to appraise and follow the prompts. TMV adjusts the new car price for the available incentives. TMV for your used car shows the current market value if you sell it to a private party or trade it in at the dealership.
While TMV already factors in incentives, it is also possible to separately review the latest incentives and rebates available for all new cars. Perhaps you'll find an even better bargain on a new car you had not considered.
Step 3: Locate Your New Car
As you search for your car, keep in mind that the more flexible you can be about options and color, the wider the range of the vehicles you'll find for sale. Being flexible will also give you more leverage to negotiate a better price, since you are not emotionally connected to one specific car.
On the Edmunds.com home page, select the make, model and year of the car you want. You'll then get a page that displays several actual cars for sale in your area, along with Edmunds.com Price Promise^® offers. (More about Price Promise in the next step). Click on the link "Find Cars for Sale Near You" in the upper half of the screen. You then will make selections about options and color to get a more complete list of matching cars available for sale. Once you find the exact car you want, the next step will be to contact the dealership.
Step 4: Use Price Promise and Dealership Internet Departments
Now that you are approaching the deal-making phase of the process, here's more about a good pathway for buying a new car: the Edmunds.com Price Promise program. It assures car shoppers a guaranteed, up-front price on a specific car.
Look for Price Promise offers on the car of your choice, print out the certificate on the page and you are ready to go to the dealership to conclude the deal. It's a good idea to call ahead and make sure the car is still available. Here are other tips on how to use Price Promise to buy your next car.
If there's no Price Promise offer on a car you want, shopping through a dealership's Internet department will save you time and money. You can easily communicate with the Internet manager by phone or e-mail.
We know that many people are drawn to the traditional way of car buying: visiting showrooms right off the bat. If you go this route, you should assess the car salesperson who is working with you before moving forward. Ask yourself if you feel comfortable and sense that you can trust this person. If you do feel comfortable, set up a time to test-drive the car if you haven't already done so. (It's a key step in finding the car that's right for you.) Before you head to the dealership, review all your notes and bring them with you.
Step 5: Try Negotiating a Lower Price
Price Promise offers are usually below Edmunds TMV. But if you think you can negotiate an even better deal, you have another option: Request Internet price quotes from at least three local dealers. Take the lowest price, call the other dealerships and say, "If you beat this price, I'll buy it from you." The dealer almost certainly will give you a better price.
Some shoppers find this time-consuming and stressful, so consider whether the potential savings are worth the time and effort. It's good to remember that a good deal isn't just the lowest selling price. It's a combination of the most streamlined, enjoyable shopping experience and the lowest total out-the-door cost.
Step 6: Review New Car Fees and Check Dealer Financing
Besides the cost of the car, you have to pay sales tax, registry fees and a documentation, or "doc" fee. You can estimate these extras using Edmunds' Monthly Loan Payment Calculator. Now ask the Internet sales manager or the dealership's Price Promise contact to supply a breakdown of all the fees, or a "worksheet," which lists the purchase price, the vehicle's invoice and all related fees. Review the figures carefully before signing the sales contract.
Back in Step One, you were pre-approved for financing. But who knows? Maybe you can get an even better interest rate at the dealership. To see if that's possible, you can let the dealership run a credit report and assess what interest rate you qualify for. If it is lower than your pre-approved loan, go for it. If not, you already have a good loan locked in.
If the price, financing and fees look right, it's nearly time to say yes to the deal. But before you do, consider making the sale contingent on having your new car delivered to your home or office. This is a great time saver and allows you to close the deal in a relaxed environment.
Step 7: Sign the Paperwork
This step will take place at your home if you have the dealership deliver the car, or at the dealership if you prefer to pick it up there. Either way, make sure there are no dents or scratches on the body or the wheels. Check that all the equipment is included, such as floor mats, owner's manuals and rear-seat DVD headphones. Your new car should also come with a full tank of gas. If anything is missing or needs repair, ask for a "Due Bill" that puts this in writing.
In cases of home delivery, the salesperson arrives with all the necessary paperwork. If you opt to pick up your car at the dealership, you will sign paperwork in the finance and insurance office, where the finance manager may try to sell you additional items. These typically include extended warranties, fabric protection or additional alarm systems. These extras can often be purchased elsewhere for less. One product that can have real value is an extended auto warranty, which provides peace of mind to many buyers and could save you money in the long run. Remember, though, that its price also is negotiable and you can always buy it later. You can learn more about the products offered by the finance manager in "Negotiating a Dealer's New-Car Add-Ons."
Review the contract carefully and make sure the numbers match the worksheet and that there are no additional charges or fees. A good finance manager will explain each form and what it means. Don't hurry. Buying a car is a serious commitment. And remember, there is no cooling-off period. Once you sign the contract, the car is yours.
Step 8: Take Delivery of Your New Car
You are probably eager to begin driving your new car. But this is an important step: Let the salesperson give you a tour of your new car. This could include showing you how to connect your smartphone to the car's Bluetooth system and learning how to use other important features and safety devices. Yes, you can review all this in the manual later, but it's quite helpful to get a hands-on demonstration. If you don't have time for a complete demonstration when you sign the contract, ask to visit the dealership a week later for this important step.
As you drive away, there is only one more thing to do: Enjoy your new car.

Top 10 Ways to Increase Your Chances of Having Twins

 

1. Have a History

Do twins run in your family? If you have a mother, brother, sister, uncle or long lost cousin with multiples, you may wonder if you'll have them too. Sometimes twinning is hereditary, it's true. However, only fraternal (dizygotic twins are influenced by heredity, and then only in some cases. If your mother or maternal grandmother was or had fraternal twins, you might have inherited a gene for hyperovulation, increasing your chances of conceiving twins also. More »

2. Grow or Gain Weight

A study published by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology correlates the rise in multiple birth rates with rising rates of obesity. Research found that mothers with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 or higer were significantly more likely to have twins. Again, this statistic only holds true for fraternal (dizygotic) twins. The research also showed that women of above-average height were also more likely to have multiples. More »

3. Grow Up: Wait Until You're Older

Older mothers are more likely to conceive twins than their younger counterparts. It's thought that the body accelerates ovulation as the biological clock starts ticking faster. Almost twenty percent of mothers who give birth over the age of 45 have multiples. However, the risks also increase; older mothers have a higher rate of miscarriage and are more likely to experience problems such as gestational diabetes during their pregnancy; in addition, their babies are at higher risk for chromosomal abnormalities.

4. Have More Twins

Once you have had a multiple pregnancy, you are significantly more likely to conceive -- and deliver -- twins again! Some estimates suggest that mothers of twins are four times more likely to have twins again than a woman who has never been pregnant, or who only had a singleton. More »

5. Diet: Yams & Dairy

No one is quite sure why, but the Yoruba tribe in West Africa has the highest rate of twinning in the world. A study concluded that the mother's diet was the cause, being high in cassava, a type of yam or sweet potato. The peelings of this vegetable are thought to contain a chemical that causes hyperovulation. In addition, a 2006 study found that women who consume dairy are five times as likely to have twins. More »

6. Seek Fertility Assistance

Reproductive technology has dramatically increased the multiple birth rate. Drugs that stimualate ovulation can lead to a multiple pregnancy, but multiples can also result from invitro fertilization. It's not just that multiple embryos are implanted in the mother, but there is also an unexplained increase in the number of monozygotic twins among IVF patients. No ethical doctor would provide treatment if it wasn't warranted, so fertility assistance should only be sought out when necessary. More »

7. Have A Big Family

The more kids you have, the more likely you are to conceive twins in a subsequent pregnancy. No one knows the magic limit that triggers a multiple pregnancy, so you'll just have to keep trying until it happens.

8. Conceive While Breastfeeding

Most people think that you can't get pregnant while breastfeeding, that the process of lactating keeps a woman from ovulating. However, plenty of mothers of twins disagree with that idea. Some research has supported the theory that the chance of twins or multiples is increased if a woman conceives while breastfeeding. For example, Dr. Gary Steinman claims that women who become pregnant while breastfeeding are nine times more likely to conceive twins than women who are not breastfeeding at the time of conception.  More »

9. Get Pregnant On the Pill

Birth control pills are usually thought to be 99.9 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. However, that .01 percent might results in a double whammy -- multiples. Sometimes pregnancy occurs when the pill isn't taken consistently; in other cases, the hormonal mix of a particular drug type simply doesn't provide enough coverage to completely prevent ovulation. In either case, playing around with hormones can lead to hyperovulation, increasing the chances of multiples. More »

10. Just Get Lucky!

Many parents of multiples don't meet any of the classic criteria, yet find themselves doubly blessed. Monozygotic twins are particularly mysterious; no one is exactly certain what causes an egg to split after conception, producing identical twins. The bottom line is that there truly isn't a whole lot an individual can do to influence their chances of having twins; sometimes you just get lucky! More »

 

How to Take Care of Your Hair

Maintaining your hair is relatively easy with the right kind of steps. Hair is made of protein, so keeping a healthy diet and good hygiene is an essential part of maintaining luscious locks. At the same time, here are some other tips about hair care, and what you can do at home to get unbelievably beautiful hair.

Part 1 of 5: Washing hair properly

1. 
   1
   Wash hair sparingly and use a good-quality shampoo. Washing hair too often can leave hair dried out, leached of its natural oils, and may damage your hair. Aim to shampoo your hair at most every other day or even only twice a week.
   
   
2. 2
   Try shampoos that do not contain sulfates or parabens. Sulfates are the chemicals that make shampoos lather up.^{[citation needed]} Parabens are preservatives that cause irritation and eye problems after prolonged use.^{[citation needed]} Both of these chemicals aren't healthy for you or the environment so try to use shampoos with natural cleansers.
   • Choose a shampoo that suits your hair type. Don't just go for any old shampoo; go for the shampoo that works for your hair type. Typical types include (but are not limited to):
     • Curly or coarse hair probably wants frizz-minimizing and softening shampoo.
     • Straight or oily hair probably wants a gentle shampoo designed for daily washing.
     • Colored or treated hair probably needs a shampoo that's fortified with extracts or amino acids, because treating your hair is essentially damaging it.
     • Dry hair probably needs shampoos with glycerin and collagen to help restore some moisture into the hair.
3. 
   3
   Use conditioner that matches your hair type, length, and treatment damage. A good rule of thumb is to condition every time you shampoo your hair, although very processed or dyed hair probably needs a little more love than natural hair.
   • Deep condition once a week. Use a store-bought hair care product, or venture out on your own and try a homemade solution. Deep conditioning is very good for your hair. It keeps hair soft, healthy and moisturized.
4. 4
   Condition your hair properly based on hair type:
   
   • For fine hair: If you have very limp hair, try a botanical oil treatment before you shampoo. Use lavender or tea-tree oil, for example, and work it under your cuticles before shampooing. Wash shampoo away and apply conditioner from the mid-shaft down to the end. Leave in for a minute before washing.
   • For medium to thick hair, use a moisturizer with natural hydrators. Keep your conditioner light. Apply conditioner all over your head and let stay for 2-3 minutes.
5. 5
   Be careful about using hair care products with too much protein. Too much protein can leave your hair feeling desiccated and brittle. While protein is the building block of healthy hair, use conditioners that come with balanced ingredients.
   • Frizz-control serum can be used in small quantities to tame frizzes. Make sure you do not use too much, and wash once a week with a deep-cleanse shampoo to avoid build-up, which will leave hair looking dull and flaky.
6. 6
   Rinse your hair with vinegar before shampooing. Doing this helps to make your hair look shinier and cleaner; plus, it treats dandruff. Use 1 part vinegar (preferably organic apple cider vinegar) to 3 parts warm water, then rinse and wash your hair as normal.
7. 7
   Moisturize your hair. Use five oils: almond, castor, olive, coconut and lavender oils. Mix together equal proportions of each. Apply to the hair and leave in for four hours prior to showering out.

Part 2 of 5: Drying your hair

1. 
   1
   Let hair dry naturally. After you get out of the shower, wrap your hair in a cotton T-Shirt. Towels are made of fabric that is very rough and damaging to your hair, causing frizziness and split ends. Avoid brushing hair while wet, as it makes the hair brittle and weak. Only use a wide tooth comb to brush out tangles while hair is wet.
   • Try not to use a blow-dryer. Healthy hair does not respond well to heat. Hair can sustain heat damage easily, especially from blow-dryers. If you have to use a blow-dryer, dry your hair using the lowest-temperature setting and limit usage to once a week.
   • If you shower before you sleep overnight, put your hair up in a bun and let it air-dry overnight. Your hair should be dry in the morning.

Part 3 of 5: Brushing your hair

1. 
   1
   Don't brush your hair too much. Brushing your hair stimulates the follicles which promotes growth, but brushing too much too often, will cause damage to your hair strands that results in frizz and split ends. ^[1]
2. 2
   After you shower, try using a wide toothed comb. Or, use your fingers, rather than a brush.

Part 4 of 5: Styling and dyeing your hair

1. 
   1
   Trim your hair regularly. The best way to get rid of split ends is to do it yourself. Take some hair shears and attack the split ends about ¹⁄₄ inch (0.6 cm) above the splitting. Many women with perfect hair never have split ends because they make it a priority to get their hair trimmed, or trim it themselves, every 6-8 weeks.
2. 
   2
   Style your hair naturally, minimizing styling damage. Styling by itself won't overly damage your hair, but repeated stylings multiple times per week put some serious strain on hair.
   • Avoid perming, crimping, straightening, curling, and bleaching or repeatedly coloring hair if at all possible. So you want to go out on Saturday night and need your hair straightened. That's fine. Just make it an occasional treat, not a permanent thing.
   • Don't use rubber bands to pull back or otherwise style hair. Rubber bands will encourage your hair to get snagged, ripping it out of the follicle.
   • Try not to use hairstyles that tightly pin or pull the hair back. Styles such as cornrows or tight ponytails can cause damage at the roots, or put stress on the follicles.
   • Instead, experiment with up-dos: a simple ponytail or chignon looks clean and requires very few hair products. You could also just keep your hair down and wear a headband
3. 
   3
   Treat or dye your hair sparingly, if at all. Dyeing and treating your hair can take a lot out of it. People who opt for au naturel often don't experience the same problem with dry, damaged, or over-processed hair.
   • If you do dye your hair, try it every once in a while. Take a break from dyeing and give your hair a little breather. It should respond favorably.

Part 5 of 5: Maintaining your general health

1. 
   1
   Eat healthily. Give your hair the right amount of vitamins. Since hair is made of proteins, eat a balanced diet rich in lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet will ensure hair that looks and feels better.
   • Make sure you get plenty of vitamin C. This vitamin strengthens hair.^{[citation needed]} In addition, iron helps transport oxygen to blood vessels, zinc grows and repairs tissue, and omega-3 fatty acids grow healthy hair.^{[citation needed]}
   • Give your hair some time to show new brilliance. What you eat will not have an immediate difference on the hair you already have, but it will help with hair that is newly growing.
2. 
   2
   Remove stress from your life. Physical and mental stressors will keep your hair from realizing its full potential. Stress can cause hair loss, so try not to let stress overcome you. This means finding healthy emotional outlets for your stress: yoga, biking, meditation, or other forms of exercise all work well.

LA VIE

La vie c’est la pluie …C’est le beau temps …
C’est la rosée du matin, et La douceur d’un coucher du soleil
C’est un sourire … une larme …Des souvenirs … des espoirs …
Des jours bleus … des jours noirs.
La vie…C’est toi… c’est moi …C’est nous… c’est tout
La vie …C’est le souffle divin …C’est le plus beau, le précieux...
C’est le plus beau, le plus précieux C’est sacré, respecté

La vie …
C’est un changement perpétuel et continuel.
C’est s’adapter ... Essayer …
Tomber… se relever …Echouer ... et gagner

La vie …
C’est un jeu qui suit les caprices Des vagues et du vent
La vie …N’essaye pas de la prévoir, De la deviner, de la comprendre Ou de la changer.

La vie …. Vis la au jour le jour
Avec confiance, courage, optimisme et amour
Accroche un sourire à tes lèvres ;
Regarde bien droit devant toi et suis ton étoile.
Des jours merveilleux t’attendent.

La vie … c’est précieux
A nous de continuer à en jouir
Et à profiter de ses bienfaits.

Auteur inconnu

 

 

9 Killer Ways to Make Your Blog Popular

I have been working on my blogs for a while and every time I tweak something, I learn something new. Today, I am basically going to recap what I have posted so far. Previously I have posted on why blogs are important and I provided several traffic generation tips. Today, I will share some common working methods which you can implement right now to make your blog popular and stand out in the crowd. Some of the methods have been posted earlier. That’s why I said I am going to recap Keep in mind that these methods are simple to implement and they always work.
Making a blog popular is every bloggers dream. It cannot be done overnight and I know it is not easy if you are new in the business but if you are hard working and are willing to learn and adapt, I can guarantee success my friend.
There are many ways to take your blog to the next level but always make sure you know what you are dealing with. I have seen people spamming the shit out of social bookmarking and networking sites such as digg, reddit and requesting people to vote for their links. Please do not do that. This is considered spam and it really sucks. But then again, reddit is very popular. If you have something awesome to share and it goes viral on reddit, you will get ton of traffic.
So without further ado, I am listing out several killer ways you can get your blog popular in the right way.

Make your blog popular – 9 methods that work!

1. Customize Your Blog Design

I have posted this like what, hundred times before. Well without a doubt, design matters. This is very important my friends and that is why I have listed it first. Every blog should have a unique design. People are attracted to something that is unique and interesting. When a person visits your blog, the design gives them the first impression and this determines the amount of time they spend browsing your blog. Now to be honest, if your blog has a crappy design, I am not going to visit it. Even if I visit it accidently, I might spend a few seconds before I leave and bam.
Look at this blog. How cool is it? I am sure you can setup something similar or decent. Practice makes perfection so keep tweaking and trying out new layout, design and navigation and focus on creating the best user experience for your readers.
There are plenty of decent templates you can find online. I am running a customized thesis theme which is one of my favorites and it powers almost 80% of my websites. I chose thesis over woothemes and others because it gives you ton of sweet options such as buttons to easily change fonts, color and seo capability. It is easily customizable and if you know a little code like I do, you can create awesome designs in no time.

2. Add Your Blog to Blog Communities

Blog communities are really popular for blogs. Other bloggers and web enthusiasts are constantly checking out these communities for networking and information. There are many communities you can submit your blog to but it’s better to stick with the ones which are popular and have a decent Google PR (pagerank).
I have posted a list of top article and blog directories so check them out and submit your blog right away.
Remember: When you follow a blog that you find interesting, and you contribute something nice through commenting on it, you are basically increasing your visibility in the community. A lot of people will check you out and also subscribe to your blog if you are good. Always try to participate in a network and engage in conversations. Whether you write a blog post or a comment, make sure it delivers some value to the community.

3. Write Tutorials and Pillar Articles

I have followed Yaro Starak who is one of the top bloggers. Yaro has always emphasized the importance of pillar articles. Now think about this, if you write an article about what happened on a certain day, the content is meant only for that day and with time it gets old. But, if you write a How-to Article or a tutorial that solves a problem, it stays there forever.
Let me explain. If you write something about “How to get rid of twitter spam or How to get loyal readers to your blog”, you know that you can use these tutorials whenever you want and they won’t get old because the same method would apply all the time. Lots of people will share it and bookmark it for future reference. Pillar articles are killers and you can easily write at least 5-6 a month.
Check out my wordpress hacking prevention guide which got shared over thousand times throughout various social networks. The post was retweeted more than 700 times and is growing every day. It’s really not a big deal to see such numbers especially when your posts are awesome and solves a community problem.

4. Be a Guest Author on Popular Blogs

Most blogs you will come across these days accept guest posts. Popular blogs like problogger, shoemoney, johnchow just to name a few; they all give new bloggers a chance to get noticed through guest blogging. Now this is a great opportunity and shouldn’t be missed. You can’t just post anything you like but it should be related to the niche and you have to prove your worth. One blog post on some of these popular blogs can get you huge amount of traffic.
How to find blogs that accept guest posts? How about you Google terms such as “guest post by” or you can check out this blog post on kissmetrics that explains guest blogging in details.
Writing guest posts is a truly amazing way to get noticed and drive traffic to your blog. Don’t forget the link juice you get and waves of new subscribers.

5. Give Something to Download for Free

I love free stuff, don’t you? A good way to gain readership and make your blog popular is to give free stuff to the public. It can be almost anything; an eBook, a wordpress theme, some popular tools or even free online class. Based on the experience from my other blogs, people love free things especially when they are premium and valuable.
There are several PLR content that you could give away to your readers. Whatever you decide to give, make sure it is worth downloading. Ask yourself, would you download it yourself? If you wouldn’t download the free stuff yourself, you can’t expect others to download it either. Quality matters my friend and if your stuff is good, people will just keep coming.

6. Blog Frequently

Fresh content is the key to your blog’s success. Do not just blog once a week and expect people to check in every day. Your readers are hungry for information and they expect to see something valuable and new on your blog frequently. I know sometimes you can get busy and have days when you don’t feel like blogging, and it is completely ok. If blogging is your passion, you will manage time for a post; it comes naturally my friends.
The search engines can find out how often you blog and they love fresh content. The more often you post to your blog, the better it gets. Of course, unless you follow a different blogging style such as Glen at viperchill who makes 1 – 3 posts per month. Glen has a unique style of creating blog posts. Most of his posts go above 4000 word limit and if you carefully notice, he has a lot of lengthy pillar articles on his blog. And as a result, viperchill gets 10 times more traffic than most other blogs combined in the similar niche. Viperchill is the proof that quality content matters over quantity of posts.
Whatever style you adapt, make sure your content is unique because at the end of the day, that is what matters the most.

7. Link Love

One of the best ways to get your blog noticed is to trade links with other bloggers in the same niche. There are multiple ways you can approach a blogger or an author and request for a link love. You can email them (make sure you don’t spam), you can comment on their blog post and request and of course add them on your facebook and discuss about it. I personally do not do this right now because google doesn’t give much value to such links.
The best way to get link love is through guest blogging as mentioned earlier. Try creating some great blog posts in some popular blogs and you will get both traffic and quality backlinks.

8. Create a Facebook Page and Promote it

Facebook pages are rising in popularity. Check your account right now and tell me how many invitations you got to join a page. I bet it’s a lot. Create a facebook page for your blog right now and start sharing it with other millions of facebook users. When requesting to join your page, make sure you don’t spam because it can be really irritating. You can also set up your blog’s RSS Feed on the Page itself so that people can check out your posts without even visiting your blog.
The new facebook timeline gives you lots of options. There are lots of amazing facebook apps that you can use to integrate your blog with facebook and make sharing easy breezy. Some good methods you can use to promote your facebook page is by adding a widget on your blog, adding a popup like button, writing a blog post on it and also including the page details in your newsletter. Facebook is huge and the traffic is legit. The quicker you create your page and get involved with it, the better social presence you will have.

9. Get a Twitter Account and Tweet your Posts

I am sure by now most bloggers have a twitter account. Forget bloggers, pretty much everyone has a twitter account today, and they use it to broadcast what they eat, when they sleep etc. There is no problem in doing that but to make it a little more productive, how about tweeting your blog posts to your followers instead.
People follow you because they are interested in sharing things with you. When you tweet, they are most likely willing to check it out. I like the idea of microblogging because it makes it easy for you to share your opinion and cool stuff with the world. Achieving the celebrity status on twitter is everyone’s dream. If you deliver value through tweets, you will have created a huge network of loyal followers who will retweet your stuff which eventually drive massive traffic to your blog. Retweets matter. Remember, retweets do not only help in driving traffic but also help in search engine optimization.

What is AdSense?

AdSense is a program that allows bloggers and website owners to make money by displaying Google ads. You’ve probably seen the ads all over the place, including in Google search results. Basically, Google gets the largest cut and you get a small percentage. There are two ways to make money from AdSense:

• Impressions – this is based on the number of pageviews of pages or posts with ads
• Clicks – this is based on how many people click on the ads (don’t EVER click your own – more on this later)

To make it as basic as possible, you sign up for an AdSense account and add the code to your blog or website. You can choose how your ads look, where they show up, and even what kind of ads you’ll accept. Once you get to a minimum threshold of $100, Google will either send you a paper check or make a direct deposit into your bank account.

Who’s Eligible?

If you use Blogger, you can use the Monetize tab to set up and manage an AdSense account.
If you use self-hosted WordPress, you can visit the AdSense website and apply for an account. You’ll receive a code that you can place wherever you’d like, or you can use a plugin to help with placement.
*If you use free WordPress, you cannot use AdSense, but you can use WordAds if you have your own custom domain. (Just another reason why self-hosted WordPress is better.)

How Much Can I Make?

As I told you before, you will not get rich quick using AdSense. It took me 9 months to make $2 (yes, two dollars) on my personal finance blog. However, I made $81 last month. That’s still pathetic compared to many blogs – some people can earn a full-time income from AdSense alone. But it takes a LONG time to get there, and you have to have a ton of traffic.
Some ads are worth more money per click than others. This is also affected by the amount of traffic you get, the keywords the person searched for, the percentage of visitors who click on a particular ad, etc. There are a LOT of factors that determine how much you’ll make, but a rule of thumb is that newer blogs simply won’t make as much money.

My personal finance blog is about 14 months old. Some days, I don’t get any ad clicks at all and I might still make 10 cents or so just from impressions. Sometimes every click is worth $2 or more. Yesterday the clicks were worth a whopping 26 cents each.
Many people get impatient when they’ve had the code up for a month or two and haven’t made more than a few pennies. If you’re looking for something that will pay TODAY, AdSense may not be for you. And to be honest, I don’t know of anything instant – if I did, you can bet I’d be using it!

How Can I Make More from AdSense?

Basically, your best bet for ad clicks is increasing your search traffic. Remember the other day when we talked about why your blog needs SEO? When people are trying to solve a problem, they usually turn to search engines like Google or Bing. If you have a post that solves that problem, using SEO will help your post rank well in search results. SEO will also help AdSense serve up relevant ads, so when people click on your blog post, the ads may answer the exact question they’re asking. Result? Ad clicks!
Here’s an example. Let’s say I write a post about the health risks of liposuction. I use SEO techniques to help Google realize what my post is about, and my post is the third one when someone searches for “liposuction risks.” AdSense also knows what my post is about, so people reading my post will see an ad that might say something like, “Safe liposuction services in New Hampshire” (or wherever).
If the person is interested in finding the safest place for liposuction, s/he is likely to click that ad. As I said before, the rate per click depends on a lot of factors, but my concern is making sure that people read MY post and not others! If they go to another blog to read about liposuction risks, they’re possibly clicking that person’s ads instead of mine.

IMPORTANT!

There are a few things you need to know about AdSense before you ever put the code on your blog.
1. Never, ever click your own ads. In case you aren’t aware, Google pretty much knows everything. And they can tell if you’re clicking your own ads. It’s very tempting to click about 50 times and make some money, but all it will do is result in being banned.
2. Never, ever encourage friends or family to click your ads. Same as above. You can and will be banned from AdSense, and don’t ever think Google won’t figure it out. I don’t know how they do it, but I have seen it happen to people I know. JUST DON’T.
3. Pay attention to your ad clicks. If you average 2 clicks a month and you suddenly get 100 in a day, chances are that something is wrong. If you’ve pissed someone off and they decide to fight back by clicking all over the place, you can get banned even though you didn’t do anything.
4. Never rely on AdSense as your sole income source. Even if you get really good at SEO and you have 100 websites making thousands of dollars each month in AdSense, you never know when something could happen to trigger Google’s no-no sensors. You can make good money with AdSense, but you should also use other monetization strategies just in case.
5. Don’t use more than 3 ad blocks on a single page. Google allows up to 3 ad blocks on a page. So if you have one in your header, one in your sidebar, and one at the end of your post, that’s the limit for that page. Also, don’t plaster ads all over the place and annoy your regular readers! There are ways to implement the ads without making your site ugly.

What Questions Do You Have?

It’s impossible to cover a topic as broad as AdSense in a single post. This overview gives you an idea of what it’s for and how it works, but it still may not answer enough questions to make sense for you.
Let me know what would be most helpful. Do you want screenshots and step-by-step instructions on inserting the code? More tips on how to improve your earnings? A breakdown of all the acronyms you see in your AdSense account, like CPC, RPM, and CTR? Leave your questions in the comments and I’ll address them in future posts.