Guest Blog by Robert Pagliarini / The Other 8 Hours – Invest in Me, Inc. and Earn a 100,000% Return

How would you like to earn a 100,000% investment return without investing in the stock market? The greatest financial asset you have is not your house, your 401(k), or even your job. Your greatest financial asset is you — the skills you have, the education you’ve received, the experience you’ve obtained, your network of contacts, and your individual way of looking at and interacting with the world. This “human capital” is much more important and valuable than your investment capital. The value of your human capital — especially for people in their working years — far exceeds any investment account balance.

Why is it so important?  It follows the truth behind the saying, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you’ve fed him for a lifetime.” Once you add a skill or learn something you did not know, you’ve increased your value.

Too many of us stop learning once we graduate from school. That’s a huge mistake. If we are to succeed, we need to always be learning (and Always Be Creating). We must focus on continuously increasing our skills and our experiences. People who don’t change become dinosaurs. You’ve seen them, and you know what I’m talking about. Those people are about a decade behind. They seem so lost and out of touch. Everything around them has progressed, but they are still operating under an old framework.

Don’t look so smug. It’s easy to fall behind. It takes time and energy to stay current. Acquiring new skills can be difficult and can take you out of your comfort zone. It can be hard for someone who feels confident in one area to want to expose themselves to a situation where they don’t have the answers.

As difficult and time intensive as this can be, it is an absolute must. When you invest in yourself, you are making a deposit that will pay you dividends for life. Take just one night class and you can easily earn a 100,000% return on the tuition. How is that possible? If you currently make $15 an hour as an administrative assistant, how much more would someone pay you per hour if you could also maintain the company’s website and make minor changes to it when necessary? What if you learned how to use QuickBooks? What if you learned how to set up and run the company’s blog? Would you be worth $16 an hour? Maybe $17 an hour? A $100 class at your local community college can earn you an additional $4,000 a year for the rest of your career.

You should always be focused on improving your skills, getting additional designations, and becoming more valuable. Think of yourself as your own company-Me, Inc. Successful companies are constantly improving, growing, and investing in new products. What skills can you learn that will make you more valuable?

One of the first places to look are those areas that are dragging you down. They’re there. Admit it. What’s that one thing that you really need to get to the next level? Is it an MBA? Is it your insurance license? Is it a designation? Maybe it’s not such a clear goal. Maybe you’re a fantastic accountant but your social awkwardness is preventing you from networking and getting a promotion. Maybe you’re afraid of public speaking but know that is what you need. Join your local Toastmasters. Regardless of what’s holding you back, now is a great time to overcome it.

To add a little spice to your learning, mix things up a bit. If you are specialized in a narrow field and already know what you need to know, boost your human capital by learning a skill in a completely unrelated field. Cross training is good for your brain and can spark new ideas and ways of looking at things.

By investing in yourself, you can earn a return much greater than you ever could in the stock market.

Guest Blog by Robert Pagliarini / The Other 8 Hours – Invest in Me, Inc. and Earn a 100,000% Return

Guest Blog by Robert Pagliarini / The Other 8 Hours – Just Graduated but Can’t Find a Job? Try These Three Alternatives

If you just graduated from college, congratulations! It’s a huge achievement and you should be proud of yourself. Normally there would be plenty of job opportunities just waiting for raw and eager talent, but this is 2010. Finding a good job is not going to be easy. The way I see it, there are really only four possible outcomes:

1. Get your dream job. If you are one of the best and the brightest (you know who you are), you may just land your dream job. Obviously if this is you, stop reading this column and go get that job.

2. Remain unemployed. Despite your efforts, you may find yourself unemployed for some time. There are many experienced workers getting pink slips and having a hard time finding work, so don’t be surprised if

a) it takes you a long time to find a job or

b) you can’t find a job.

3. Get a less than ideal job. With some determination, you may be able to find a job. It might not be your dream job, but it might pay the bills (assuming you move back home with your parents). The problem with working in a sub-par position is that you won’t be learning much, making much, or growing much. When the economy turns around and employers start hiring, do you really want to list Chuck E Cheese on your résumé? Think long and hard about taking a job just because it’s a job. Ideally you’d want each of your jobs post-graduation to support and build on one another. Settling for just anything might do more harm than good in the long run.

4. Check out. This is my favorite approach – assuming you can’t land your dream job and you can mooch off your parents a bit longer. Instead of being a victim of the times, this puts you in control and can boost your résumé if you do it right. Here are three ways you can check out and check back in when employers are looking to hire again:

• Start your own company – Why settle for fry-guy when you can be CEO? If you have an idea and are entrepreneurial, get a few partners (i.e., other friends who can’t find jobs) and start something. Worst case, you don’t make a dime, but you’ll learn invaluable skills and you’ll have a story and something to share on your resume. Best case, your little venture succeeds.

• Travel/Create. Backpack for a year across Europe or Asia. It doesn’t have to cost that much, and it will be an experience you will never forget. Plus, when it comes time to get a job, at least you did something with your time you can be proud of and talk about. If travel isn’t your thing, what is? What would you love to do that won’t cost a lot of money and that you won’t be able to do once you get a full-time job? Start a charity? Walk across the United States? Join the Peace Corps?  Climb a mountain? Write a book?

• Go back to school. Why sweat it out at a job that will certainly look lame and desperate to future employers when you can use this time to get a master’s degree? Think about what you gain with this approach – no stress trying to get a job, no empty space on your resume for a year, and, oh yeah, a master’s degree. The only downside with this is the cost. As long as the degree will get you closer to your dream job, it’s probably worth it to get a loan. By investing in yourself you might make a nice return.

Don’t be a victim and don’t make excuses. You have options. The economy will improve and you will find a job. You’ll probably work at least 40 years, so if you have the financial ability, use this time to do something special.

Guest Blog by Robert Pagliarini / The Other 8 Hours – Just Graduated but Can’t Find a Job? Try These Three Alternatives

Guest Blog by Christophe Choo / Beverly Hills Real Estate Agent – Kitchen Remodel Ideas

RISMEDIA, (MCT)—The explosion of remodeling shows on TV and makeover spreads in magazines has whetted America’s appetite for glamorous rooms brimming with the latest furnishings, appliances and color schemes. Kitchen remodels are among the most popular, according to a report in the August issue of Consumer Reports and online at consumerreports.org. And the economic slowdown means there are outstanding deals on everything from cooktops to countertops. It also means kitchen designers and building contractors are eager for work and willing to negotiate.

But bargain prices and good looks aren’t everything, said Celia Kupersmzid Lehrman, Consumer Reports’ deputy home editor.

“When remodeling a kitchen, functionality is every bit as important as style. Fortunately there are many products that look good and work well,” she said.

The design of your kitchen is every bit as important as what goes into it, said Jim Spence of Spence & Vaughn Fine Kitchen and Bath in Maitland, Fla.

The most functional design is based on the ‘work triangle’—the relationship between the prep area, the cooking area and the sink, said Spence. Ideally, the distance between them should never be less than four feet or more than nine feet. Of the three areas, the most-used is the sink.

When planning a remodel, determining your budget is one of the first steps. The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) calculates the average kitchen remodel costs between 10-20% of the home’s value. But obviously, the extent of the makeover determines its cost.

Determining your priorities is another key step, said Phil Johnson, a partner at Spence & Vaughn and a certified kitchen designer. “Do you love to cook? If so, now might be the time to consider professional-style appliances,” he said. “Do you have a large family? Consider how best to accommodate them in your new space. Think about the things you love in your old kitchen—and the things you dislike.”

Johnson recommends the following steps for a successful kitchen remodel:

-Do your homework. Watch TV remodeling programs, clip appealing pictures and articles from magazines, attend remodeling seminars, visit home shows and parades of homes. Consult with a kitchen designer who is a member of the NKBA, who has the training and experience to avoid many of the things that can go wrong with a remodeling project.

-Visit a showroom. Examine the options in cabinets, countertops, appliances, flooring, plumbing and lighting. Decide what you want—and can afford.

-Schedule a home visit. The designer/installer needs to measure the kitchen and adjacent rooms, and make a note of existing walls, doors and windows, electrical supplies, ceiling height, attic access, type of wall construction, plumbing details, etc.

-Finalize the project. The design is refined, construction plans are completed, appliances and supplies are ordered—and the initial deposit is paid.

-Survive the dust, noise and workers. With proper supervision, the disruption can be kept to a minimum. Make sure materials are ordered and on the way before beginning the tear-out. Clear a space in the garage for workers’ tools and supplies and items removed from the old kitchen. And communicate regularly with the designer/installer.

4 rules to keep in mind as you begin to remodel your kitchen:

1. Don’t rush. There are many kitchen products that combine value, performance and good looks. Take time to meet with professionals, browse the Internet and visit showrooms and home centers. Haste can be costly. Changing your mind after the project is started typically adds about $1,500 to the cost of a kitchen project.

2. Size matters. In addition to being expensive, oversized kitchens can be exhausting to work in and keep tidy. A more compact kitchen often functions better. The National Kitchen & Bath Association website, nkba.org, provides guidelines for optimal space between appliances, cabinets and islands.

3. Beware of budget busters. Leave a 10-15% cushion for surprises, such as unexpected structural repairs. Avoid settling for a cheap option, thinking someday you will replace it with something you really want. Chances are that will never happen.

4. Get it in writing. When using a professional for a remodel, the written contract should list each phase of the project; every product, including the model number; and copies of each contractor’s license, and workers compensation and liability insurance to confirm they are current. Call references and, if possible, visit them.

(c) 2010, The Orlando Sentinel (Fla.).

I have personally known Chritophe Choo for many years, he’s a master of Beverly Hills Real Estate and am pleased to have him guest post on my personal growth blog.

Guest Blog by Christophe Choo / Beverly Hills Real Estate Agent – Kitchen Remodel Ideas

Is Philip Tirone a scam?  My friend Robert Pagliarini recently emailed me about a website he found called Scam Detectives that reports credit scams. Robert noticed that they wrote an article about the “Philip Tirone Scam.”

Of course I got stressed out, and very fast. Why would someone think my name-your-own-price program is a scam? But after reading the “Philip Tirone Scam” report on Scam Detectives, I felt a lot better.

I would be honored if you would post any thoughts you have about my program, or who I am as a person, on Scam Detectives. Just click on this link: Philip Tirone Scam.

Thanks so much!

Philip Tirone Scam, Philip Tirone, Credit Expert

Last week was a great week, but Friday, my emotions: up and down.

But isn’t this life? Do you have “those days?” Do you have the days you just want to forget? I started to ask the people I know who I consider the most together and most successful. They all answered the same way, “of course.”

So, if that is the case that everyone has up and down emotions, isn’t the following true? “The person who gets through their down emotions the fastest, wins.”

Let’s face it, we all have “those” days, so understanding that we all have all been dealt those cards, let’s figure out how to minimize the effect of the down emotions.

Thoughts?

Emotions Up and Down – Day 74 of My Personal Growth Goal
Personal Growth Blog Post for Philip Tirone, Credit Scoring Expert

I have personally known Robert Pagliarini for many years, he’s a master of personal growth and am pleased to have him guest post on my personal growth blog.

———

One of the most popular self-help books ever written on depression is Feeling Good by Dr. David Burns. He identifies several cognitive distortions the depressed suffer from. One of them is Overgeneralization. This is the practice of “viewing a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.” If you lose your job, suddenly you are worthless and you will never amount to anything. If you look at your 401(k) statement and you’ve lost 35% of your nest egg, suddenly you’ll never be able to retire and you’ll have to be a Walmart greeter when you’re 85 years old. When things are bad, it feels like everything is bad and they’ll always be bad.

One of the simplest, most enjoyable and most effective ways to improve your outlook and rise above the depressing headlines is to daydream — visualize a better life. In Robert Cooper’s book, Get Out of Your Own Way, he says “Brain scans show that simply imagining a complex and compelling goal will actually fire the same neurons that will be required to actually achieve the goal.” Daydreaming is definitely not just for kids. Spend a few minutes every day imagining your ideal life. You don’t have to write anything down if you don’t want to, just visualize it. Make it as real as you can.

If you want to get fancy, I recommend you DreamBoard. It’s something I’ve written about before, but I think it bears repeating. DreamBoarding is the process of creating a visual scrapbook of your ideal life. Why pictures? Our mind thinks and remembers in pictures. We remember faces but forget names. When we read a story, we create a visual image of the characters and the situation. The great communicators use language to create mental images. A picture can communicate much more quickly and efficiently than a word or a thought.

In addition to thinking about taking a trip to Fiji, isn’t it more powerful to also look at a picture of a Fijian beach with crystal clear water and palm trees? Does the picture improve your mood more than the thoughts alone? The added benefit of creating a collage of pictures is that they can remind you of your ideal life every time you glance at your DreamBoard.

Here’s how it works. As you imagine your perfect future, jot down what it looks like. Then cut out a picture or two from a magazine that represents this life. Take your time finding pictures that get your juices flowing. If one of your goals is to own a new Porsche, buy a car magazine or visit your local dealership and pick up a brochure.

Your ideal life shouldn’t just be filled with stuff, either. It should include things you want to accomplish and ideas about the person you want to be. While it is easier to find pictures representing tangible things you want to own, you can also locate pictures representing what you want to accomplish and who you want to be.

If you want to earn a Ph.D., cut out a picture of a diploma. If you want to learn how to play the piano, cut out a picture of a piano or of someone playing the piano. If you want to work fewer hours, take a picture of your office with a clock at 3:30PM with you noticeably absent. You can find a picture for almost anything. For example, one of the things I want to accomplish is to go on an African Safari. There are a lot of places I could have gone to get pictures of Africa, but I chose to cut out pictures from an adventure travel brochure because that was more accurate for my dream.

You can even find pictures representing the person you want to be. Do you want to become a better parent? Cut out a picture of your kids on vacation or doing their homework. Do you want to be a better communicator? Cut out a picture of Barack Obama or Ronald Reagan. Bottom line, no matter what your ideal life, you can find a picture to capture or express it.

Have fun with this exercise — get creative. While it might sound slightly silly-like making a collage in elementary school — using pictures will bring your ideal life to life.

Once you’ve cut out all of the pictures, it is time to create your DreamBoard. You have a couple of options. You can either create a portable goal collage by using a three-ring binder or you could create a large poster board with pictures representing all of your goals. There is nothing more powerful than looking at a collection of pictures that represent your ideal life.

Put your DreamBoard where you’ll see it often. Invest a few minutes of your other 8 hours every day to look at it. Think about what the pictures represent and visualize living it. Then get out there and make it happen!

For a limited time, you can download several free resources (assessment, poster, audio interview, video, and more) at www.other8hours.com and learn more about my new book, The Other 8 Hours: Maximize Your Free Time to Create New Wealth and Purpose.

Robert Pagliarini / The Other 8 Hours  Guest Blog – DayDream Your Way to a Better Life (Personal Growth)

I have personally known Robert Pagliarini for many years, he’s a master of personal growth and am pleased to have him guest post on my personal growth blog.

I have personally known Robert Pagliarini for many years, he’s a master of personal growth and am pleased to have him guest post on my personal growth blog.

———-

Conquer Your Inner Shopaholic With These Six Money Tips – Robert Pagliarini from Robert Pagliarini on Vimeo.

Last year I wrote a free 75 page ebook about how to survive the financial crisis. The financial tips in the ebook are for anyone who is struggling to make ends meet and wants to radically improve their finances. It has some great money tips, but I’ve had to develop new strategies to work with this woman who is driving her finances into the ground because of overspending. Think financial makeover on steroids.

Here are six financial tips you can implement today that will help you conquer your inner shopaholic and give you more financial peace of mind:

1.    Don’t budget, PERK instead. Budgets work, but nobody likes them because they are hard to create and even harder to stick to.  Fortunately, there’s a quick and easy solution I developed called PERK that takes about 15 minutes and can save you $250 to $1,000+ a month. First, list all of your expenses — everything. Then, next to each expense write a P, E, R, or K. For those expenses you can “Postpone” put a P. For those expenses you can “Eliminate” put an E. For those expenses you can “Reduce” put an R. For those expenses you must “Keep” put a K. Don’t let the simplicity throw you. It’s easy but incredibly effective.

2.    Stop leaking money. We spend money on stuff that we don’t need or even realize.  Things like cable channels we don’t watch, subscriptions we don’t read, and organizations we don’t care about. Take a close look at where your money is going by using a free online program such as Mint.com to track expenses easily. Cancel all expenses you don’t use or don’t need.

3.    Create a buying buffer zone. The goal is to create a buying buffer zone of at least 30 days between the moment you want to buy something (usually in the heat of the moment at the store) and when you actually buy it. If you force yourself to wait 30 days you’ll find that most of the time you won’t want it anymore. If you still do, it means you really do want it. So instead of whipping out your credit card, whip out your camera. Take a photo of whatever you want to buy and post it on your “buyer board.” Write the date, the amount, and a short reason why you want it and how it will improve your life. After waiting the 30 days see if you still can’t live without it.

4.    Get real. Fill in the blank: “The three most important things in my life are _______, _______, and _______.”  Usually stuff doesn’t make the list. It’s important to get clear and conscious about what you value. Print this list, or even better, find photos that represent the three things you value (e.g., photo of kids) and put these photos in your wallet/purse. To make sure you look at them, put them in front of your credit cards. If you really want to get fancy, create a credit card condom. This is where you make a sleeve for each of your credit cards with a photo of what’s really important to you — this ensures you have to see your values before you spend money (especially on stuff that doesn’t match your values).

5.    Volunteer. Get the focus off yourself, what you want, and what new thing you just can’t live without, and on to others who are in real need. This is great therapy and it doesn’t cost you a dime.

6.    Boost your income. One of my irritations with traditional financial planning is the near-exclusive focus on cutting expenses. You need to live within your means, but let’s not forget about the other side of the equation — income! Use the other 8 hours to create — write a book, invent, start a side business, etc.

Changing your finances (and life!) starts by changing your mindset and behavior. Buy into the belief that you can improve your finances — just be careful what else you buy…

You can download several free resources (assessment, poster, audio interview, video, and more) at www.other8hours.com and learn more about my new book, The Other 8 Hours: Maximize Your Free Time to Create New Wealth & Purpose.

Robert Pagliarini / The Other 8 Hours  Guest Blog – Conquer Your Inner Shopaholic With These Six Money Tips (Personal Growth)

I have personally known Robert Pagliarini for many years, he’s a master of personal growth and am pleased to have him guest post on my personal growth blog.

I have personally known Robert Pagliarini for many years, he’s a master of personal growth and am pleased to have him guest post on my personal growth blog.

———-

The holocaust never happened. The moon landing was staged. And Sex and the City 2 is a great movie. How do I know this? I did a Google search. No matter what your position, you can find support. The lesson? Be careful what you ask, or maybe more appropriately, be careful how you ask. In psychology, the term for this is confirmation bias and it can have damaging consequences for your finances and your life if you’re not careful.

Nobody likes to be wrong, so we’ll actively try to find support for our existing beliefs. We’ll scour the web to try to find anybody saying anything that remotely resembles our own beliefs. “Well, how can I be wrong when blogger ‘iheartcarrie’ clearly agrees with me?” we ask.

The problem with confirmation bias is that you selectively filter what information you choose to pay attention to and value. So not only will you actively look for evidence and seek experts that confirm your existing beliefs, but even more pernicious, you’ll hide from or discredit any information that contradicts your viewpoint. This can cause you to dump money into a failing business, time into a bad relationship, or even to stay in a stock too long.

For example, let’s say after watching the stock market go up and up and up over the past year, you decided to jump back in a month ago (woops). Now you’re fully invested and you’ve just seen the market drop 10%. If you’re suffering from confirmation bias, instead of rationally evaluating the long-term economic and financial outlook of the U.S. and global economy, you may selectively read just those blogs or columns that are bullish. If you come across an article that is bearish, you’ll dismiss it, or maybe not even read it.

Confirmation bias isn’t just a problem for investors. It’s a problem you need to be aware of when looking for a spouse, starting a business, interviewing for a new job, managing people, and any other situation where a supply of fresh information can help you make better decisions.

Confirmation bias is very difficult to recognize, but here are five tips you can use to help minimize this cognitive distortion:

1. Remove your ego. At its root, confirmation bias is an ego disease. We hate to be wrong and we’re desperate for others to validate our position. Seek the truth over being right, because if you disregard the truth long enough, you’ll eventually be proven wrong anyway.
2. Seek disagreement. Foster an environment where it is not only okay to disagree but encouraged. Asking friends, family, and employees “Am I right?” will likely get only those who agree with you to speak up. A better question is, “Why am I wrong?” At meetings, require everyone to play devil’s advocate. Early on it might be difficult to get this kind of feedback from others because they’re probably not used to thinking about why you’re wrong (well, at least verbalizing it), so turn it into a game and reward the best answers.
3. Ask better questions. One of the most worthless questions to ask a friend or co-worker is “How do you think I did?” It’s worthless because you’ll never get any constructive feedback. A much better question is “What could I have done differently to make it better?” By changing the question ever so slightly, you’ll be shocked at the honest advice you’ll hear.
4. Keep information channels open. Constantly seek alternative views and opinions in print, on TV, and in person. That might mean visiting websites, reading newspapers, and watching shows that you’ve previously avoided. Remember, seek the truth, not evidence that you’re right.
5. Google better. Don’t search what you want to prove, because with over 3 billion web pages, you’re bound to find one that agrees with you. Instead, use open-ended searches that aren’t biased.

Keep these five tips in mind and you’ll avoid confirmation bias. Now if you could only avoid Sex and the City 2…

You can download several free resources (assessment, poster, audio interview, video, and more) at www.other8hours.com and learn more about my new book, The Other 8 Hours: Maximize Your Free Time to Create New Wealth & Purpose.

Robert Pagliarini / The Other 8 Hours  Guest Blog – 5 Tips to Avoid a Bad Decision (Personal Growth)

I’m an early riser, typically I get up around 5:30ish without an alarm.  Around 6:00 I walk downstairs, then off to Church, then work.  A couple weeks ago, I heard my kids playing in their room, so I decided to make them breakfast.  For whatever reason, I wasn’t excited about the day (personal growth wise).

Whenever I feel this way, I go through a four-step process (Click Here to See), and on this day, I decided to do Step 2 with my kids.

So, I started to sing songs with my kids, and shout out affirmations:

I said, “Repeat after me!  I’m going to have a great day!”  They repeated it, only after they looked at me with a strange look.

I said, “Repeat after me!  I’m alive, excited, and filled with energy!”  They repeated it.  I said, “LOUDER!”  They did!

We did this and continued it for about 10-15 minutes.  Not only did it help me, and I can only imagine what it did for their little minds that can be molded like soft clay.  Their current ages are 3, 2, and 10 months….

So I stared to think to myself, what if I could do this in the mornings and the evenings?  I could sandwich their days with a positive affirmations for kids.  What type of advantage would this give them in their life?   What about their personal growth?

All of a sudden who they came in contact with during the day didn’t matter as much to me, because I know, at night I’ll be able to get them back on track.

Unfortunately, I can’t do this everyday, but I working this in and I’m already seeing a difference in their attitude.  My oldest is calmer and more giving.

I don’t know who is getting more out of these affirmation for kids;  me or them.  I love where my desire for personal growth is taking me.

Using Affirmations for my Kids and loving every minute of it!  Personal Growth

It’s not suppose to be this way.  I didn’t hit my 14 day goal again.

I started this goal process 63 days ago, a goal to earn $500,000 in 90 days, and I haven’t even gotten to $50,000.  Hmmmm.  Something is not working.

It’s not suppose to work this way.  I made a public declaration and now I’m falling short, in fact, I’m painfully short.  Have you ever second guessed something you did?  That is how I’m feeling.

My addiction to “looking good” is really showing up here.  My ego is obviously way out of control and a place I need some personal growth.

My goal is feeling out of reach right now, and all my “reason” is getting to me.  “I need to be “reasonable” with my goals,” I’m telling myself.  Basically, I’m giving myself reasons why I should not feel bad about not hitting my goals.

I see it, and I say no.  No.  Okay, I’m 63 days into a 90 day goal.  How is this going to work out?  By me hitting my goal.  Yes.  A win.

I have no idea how, but I’m not stopping.  I’m going to give it everything I have.  Everything to the last moment.  As the song says (from “The Impossible Dream,” “I will try until my muscles are crying for relief, and then I will continue.”

The last 63 days of public declaration has changed who I am and I look forward to who I’m going to be in 30 more days, and, how much money I will have in the bank!

Personal Struggles – Personal Growth – Day 63