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Showing posts with label blog boost. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog boost. Show all posts






I realise that this might be a tad deep when you sit back and think about it - but really makes sense.  

A large majority of people fall into a herd mentality and end up doing what everyone around them is doing.  This is probably because our entire lives have been laid out for us : attend school, go to university, get a degree in order to get a good job so as to support yourself.  If that's not enough - find a partner, have a family, support the family by continuing to work hard until retirement when you can finally enjoy your life.  Heard this before right ? 

There's nothing wrong with structure but have you taken a minute to think about whether that preset path is the path for you ?  Did you give up on an entrepreneurial move or a risky career change due to fear of the unknown / uncertainty of it all ? Is there something you feel you could have done different when you look back at the past few years ?  Are you doing what you love ? 

Ever since a young age - I realized that I'm ready to go down the road less travelled.  At 9 or 10 years old I told my parents I wanted to own a night club.  Imagine that !! When it was time for me to go to university - I ended up moving halfway across the world from Dubai to Montreal.  That's a flight time of about 18 hours including layover.  My Dad wanted me to be a banker - a good stable career.  I pursued it for all of 9 months after graduation and  left to set-up my own company managing & marketing night clubs in London.  My entire family including extended members flipped out and told me how irrational I was behaving; that I shouldn't leave a good career which growth opportunities for something that wasn't stable.  I moved out of the family house, got my own apartment and followed my passion - the world of events & nightlife.  Then about 6 years later my clients were asking me to plan private events for them and within a year of that I moved across oceans (again) to Bombay to set up my next venture in Events & Wedding Planning. 

I currently run a boutique company called A Klass Apart which focuses on events & wedding planning.  I get to work with clients and event spaces around the world.  I now take 'summer holidays' (like we did back in school) for 3-4 months a year for the last few years.  I work with select clients (mainly on a word of mouth basis) - if we 'click' we work together; if not - I rather not take the stress.   I have a portable office (my trusted laptop & hard drive) which means I can work from anywhere in the world as opposed to being in one place all the time. 

Of course it's not all a bed of roses.  I've had financial ups & downs.  I've learned a few things the hard way.  My friends are never free when I am (i.e. during the day).  The industry I'm in means that public holidays, festive seasons and weekends are generally when I am the busiest so can't really enjoy this with friends / family.  But I knew all of this when I chose to take this path and the things I didn't know I got to know over the years.  

I may not own a nightclub as yet but I know eventually I'll get there.  It's still on my mind.  Maybe if I was a stockbroker like some of my cousins - I would already have it but I doubt the journey would be as much fun as what I'm currently experiencing. 

I came across a great article 'Creating Your Own Life Path' which I resonated with and think you will enjoy as well.  

What path did you choose - the road well travelled or the road less travelled ? Are you happy with your choice ? Is there a path that you wish you had taken or think you could still take (even if it for a short walk) ?     



Come on !! Who doesn't get a happy feeling knowing that there's some extra cash sitting in the bank account ?  Instead of spending that rolled up tenner that you found in your jeans pocket - just put it away.  

At the start of the year I randomly decided to just collecting all the coins / spare change that I would find around my room, in my various hand bags or even in my car ... at the end of the month there was the equivalent of £20 that I had lying around ... think about it £20 x 12 months = £240 that's enough for a big night out or a weekend away. 

I started saving properly when I hit 30.  I should have done it earlier but I was busy enjoying life and the financial independence that I had spent my entire 20's working for.   I'm 33 and have a good chunk sitting in the bank.  I may not be able to buy a house yet but I've got my down payment ready ! 

When did you start saving ? Are you regular saver ? Do you have any saving tips that you could suggest ? 


Nothing quite beats the feeling of financial independence ! I started my first business at 21 and my second at 28.  I may not be able to afford to buy a house right now or even get a mortgage as I'm self-employed but just knowing that I earn enough to support myself, and indulge my passions (whether it be travel or learning something new or taking the 'summer' off work) is quite a feeling in itself.  

Do you remember what it felt like when you got your first pay cheque ? That euphoric feeling and sense of accomplishment ? How did it feel knowing that you are no longer dependent on your folks now that you're earning on your own ? 

Just remember that if you have the ability to work and earn right now - no matter what the income is - be grateful that you can do that because there are people out there who are unable to meet their basic requirements.  

bestnewcomer200Woke up this morning to some fab news.   My blog has been entered for the Best Newcomer award and voting is now open on GreatDatingblogs.com !

 

How does the voting work ?

Only 3 sites will make it into the finals of each category – so every vote counts.    There’s a prize for everyone who comes 1st in their categories.  I promise to share my prize if I win !

Please drop by http://www.greatdatingblogs.com/best-newcomer-round-one-2013/ and vote for my blog ‘Dazed Reflection’

Voting ends at midnight on 30th June 2013.

 

So could I request all of my friends in Bloggerville to kindly vote for my blog.  Pretty please with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles on top.

Imagine the surprise I had when I received a tweet a few days ago stating that I should put myself forward for the Great Dating Blogs Award 2013.

Me ? My blog ?  That’s huge news !!

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Honestly, I’m aware that mine is a very sporadic blog and yes, I do have enough posts related to dating / relationships that could somehow put me up as a nominee … but to have someone else tell you to do it – it’s a bit of a big deal and I’m super excited about it !

 

So I did what any good blogger would do – I went and registered my blog for the Best Newcomer nomination.

 

Now it’s time to wait and see if I get short listed.

There was a time when those mood swings would really put a damper to my day.  I used to have a really nasty temper – and once I got into that ‘bad mood’ – it wouldn’t let up and eventually would consume my entire day.  That’s a full 24 hours that was wasted away due to a mood swing which I should have tried to keep under control.  I’ve gotten much better at keeping my temper and my mood swings in check over the last few years.  Nowadays – the mood swings are there only for the 'moment’ and I can continue the rest of my day without interruption.

 

You often hear people say that one should start their day on a positive note; that one shouldn’t let a minor mood swing set back your whole day.  And it’s true.  You are in absolute control of your mood each and every day; so why not just choose to be in a good mood despite whatever setbacks you may have during the course of the day. 

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How is your mood today ? Which one did you choose to go with ?

Last summer I took part in the 10 Day YOU Challenge to see if I could actually blog 10 days in a row.  I did and it felt good to know that I had been a part of a ‘community challenge’ – I came across some fun blogs and got to know a few new people on Twitter.

Then at the start of this year in January – I participated in the Ultimate Blog Challenge – where the rules stated that one must write a post a day or a total of 31 posts in the month of January.

This month, I’ve been taking part in a small ‘photo-a-day’ challenge that my friend Sabu put together on FaceBook and we are 11 of us just doing it for fun.  I’m so thankful to my mate for doing this ‘cos it has kept me on my toes and its made me accountable for actually taking a photo a day and sharing it with the group.

Somewhere in between these challenges, I came across something called the A to Z Challenge and it caught my attention.  So much so that I had even prepared in advance and scheduled some posts in anticipation of participating in the challenge and not falling behind on schedule.  That was until my laptop died and I had to get a new one – which meant that none of my posts got saved as I had written them on live-writer.

Today, I came home after an amazing spa day with my girlf and decided that I need to stop procrastinating and just prepare myself for this blog challenge in April … and so this post is there to sign it off Challenge Accepted[4]in black and white into blogosphere that I’m gonna do this !

That’s right folks – in the words of Barney Stintson ‘Chalenge Accepted’ I’m going to take part in the  A to Z April 2012 Blogging Challenge !

UBC-completed-smallI never really thought just how hard it would be to complete the Ultimate Blog Challenge.  It’s been a tough month considering I’m not a daily blogger – at one point I thought, hats off to anyone who blogs daily (and to those who actually write journals).  The only time I’ve ever blogged continuously was when I took part in the 10 Day YOU Challenge back in August 2011.

Blogging every day, or even putting together 31 posts over 31 days is not an easy task and for every day that I wasn’t able to blog or schedule a post – I got pretty worked up about not being able to keep up to the challenge.

Despite putting together tips on how to stay on track for the blog challenge; I felt that I was falling behind due to a rather hectic work schedule.   To make matters worse; I realized that some of my scheduled posts didn’t get published on time which made me feel like my efforts kinda went to waste.

Regardless of the set-backs that I faced, I was determined to see that I got 31 posts up and I have – and I’m proud of completing the challenge.  I managed to learn a lot from this and discover a lot of new bloggers who are all featured in my blog challenge report.  Would I do it again …. YES !! (I know it sounds crazy but I do love me a good challenge).

What about you ? How far did you get in the challenge ? Did you complete all 31 posts ? Would you take part in something like this again ? And if you didn’t participate – do you think you would participate later in the year ? (I believe there are 3 more UBC challenges this year)

With the Ultimate Blog Challenge coming to an end in the next 24 hours, here’s a quick 3-point summary of my blog challenge experience.

3 Benefits of Participating in the Challenge

  1. I managed to generate daily content (even if it some of it was scheduled posts) and let my report_card2creativity flow; and it got me into the habit of writing daily (which is something I’ve never really done on my blog)
  2. Group motivation ! Since so many people were participating in the challenge, there was loads of encouragement from others to keep posting and thus ensured that I stayed on scheduled. Being a part of a community.
  3. Increase in Blog Traffic along with Comments ! I found that I had comments & Retweets from other participants in the challenge which made me go do the same for them.

3 Things To Remember for Future Challenges

  1. Create a rough draft / titles of potential topics you want to blog about and expand on it
  2. Follow the rules of the challenge and pimp your blog by way of all the social media tools available to you. 
  3. Take a break for a day or two if you aren’t used to writing daily content.  Use that time to look over other blogs and inspiration will hit you when you least expect it.

3 New Tweeps To Follow

  1. MichelleShaeffr – one of the founders of the UBC who provides a wealth of information via her tweets and her various blogs
  2. Cateyesmd – super friendly and one of the first commenters on my UBC posts
  3. SocialBizniz – doesn’t matter if you are a social media buff or a newbie, this is one person you want to follow to get your dose of social media updates

3 New Blogs I Discovered & Enjoyed

  1. Everything Stress Blog  by Charlie Damonsing
  2. Day In The Life of A Busy Gal by Sharon Howard
  3. Pink Diary by Jenn

I’ve really enjoyed participating in the Blog Challenge and pretty chuffed that I discovered it; initially I wasn’t sure if I could put together all 31 posts but looks like I’m almost there !!

If you have participated in the UBC 2012 or in any other blog challenge; do share your thoughts and experiences with me in the comments.  I’d love to read up on your posts.  If you’ve never been a part of a challenge – do you think you might try one this year ?

As much as we all enjoy blogging, I’m sure like me – there are days when you can’t think of what to write .. or when you do have the idea – you can’t quite formulate it into the exact words that you want .. or you get a fab idea for a post, but you never end up writing it ‘cos work / life gets in the way and before you know it that idea is a distant dream.

Here are a list of 4 Sites that ensure you never run out of blog ideas again !

  1. Daily Blogging Ideas : An Inspirational Playground for Bloggers by Michelle Shaeffer
  2. The Daily Post : Post Something Everyday
  3. Daily Blog Tips by Daniel Scocco
  4. Fuel Your Blogging

Honestly there are blog post ideas everywhere – it’s just a matter of looking for them and finding the time to put the post together.  If you still think you may run out of ideas from the above list, then don’t forget to check out the other 712 Blog Topics you can write about !

Did you find the above sites useful ? Do you use any of them already for inspiration ? Where do you go to get blog post ideas ? Don’t forget to share any links you might have.

ideas 2After countless hours in front of my laptop trying to put together new post topics to keep me going through the Ultimate Blog Challenge, I realized that there are ideas everywhere; you just have to know where to look (which can be pretty time consuming).

So I thought I’d save you some screen time and share 712 blog topics that you can write about and refer to when you’re suffering from a bout writers block or when your creative juices are completely drained out.

  1. 100 Blog Topics I Hope You Write by Chris Brogan
  2. 50 Article/Blog Title Ideas For You by Michelle Shaeffer
  3. 93 Business Blogging Topic Ideas – Things to Blog about When You’re Out of Ideas by Mike Brown
  4. 101+ Killer Blog Post Ideas
  5. 15 List Post Ideas When You Get Writer’s Block – by Tristan Higbee for Kikolani
  6. 353+ Blog Post Ideas to Inspire You by Amy Schmittauer

There you have it .. there are enough topics in there to keep you going for 1 year 11 months (if you wrote a post a day) ! Damn !!

If you have any links or post ideas that you know about, please do share them in the comments so that everyone who stops by can benefit from it.

I just celebrated my Dirty Flirty 30th Birthday over the weekend with friends and I’m flying over the moon (or maybe it’s just the excessive vodka intake keeping me so high).  Maybe I do get a bit too excited about my birthday – but then why shouldn’t I ? It’s my special day !

There was no theme to my birthday but everyone around could relate to the Absolut Diva Cake that my cousin (and business partner) NC hooked up for me.  It was simply divine !

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As awesome as the cake looks – unfortunately for me, I didn’t get to eat much of it because my younger cousin sort of smashed a chunk of it on my face and straight in my eye !! No fun there ! BUT I did have a lot of champagne to make up for it.  My friends who had the cake loved it – a rich Belgian chocolate if I’m not mistaken. 

NC did do some apt branding – and honestly my birthday was A Klass Apart

… and anyone who knows me know that in itself is quite a task !!

Unlike most women I know, I really don’t enjoy shopping … to a point I actually hate it … the very thought of having to cram myself in a tiny changing room and trying on clothes makes me skip any shopping trips that my girlfriends plan.  

But today, I was on a mission and that was to find the perfect dress for my upcoming birthday party !  A few days earlier I spoke to a friend of mine DS and she volunteered to go out shopping with me. (so glad she did because in Bombay I wouldn’t even know where to start looking for a dress for myself !)

DS turns up to meet me with her super cute hubby SS and before I know it – both of them are browsing clothing racks picking out outfits they think would look good on me (which I thought was the sweetest thing!).  DS and I almost killed one of the store assistants ‘cos she was seriously obnoxious and had no clue about customerdressing rooms service.  This woman kept insisting that an outfit I was keen on ‘would not fit’ .. guess what – not only did it fit perfectly as SG would tell you all – but all three of my friends loved it on me !

After breaking a sweat in the miniscule changing rooms (they should just be called cubicles ‘cos there’s barely any space to even turn around properly let alone change comfortably) – I was ready to call it quits and just head home !! I’m not kidding when I say that shopping and me are just not meant to be !  But with loads of encouragement from my entourage outside (who were kind enough not to laugh at me when I came out all dishevelled) I manage to continue trying on a few more outfits.

DS took pity on me and the four of us took a quick coffee break – only to be joined by my darling HRH and his boyfriend. The conversation there is fodder for another blog as SG might agree.  A quick motor bike ride across Bandra to another store – a few more outfit changes and I managed to leave with one perfect dress :)

Not a bad day at all ! And I still managed to get through Day 17 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge ! if you are taking part – don’t forget to share your link below !

 

I came across this track over the weekend – a nightMusic-Monday club owner friend from London posted it on Facebook and I just connected with it. Music has a way of doing that.

The beats and lyrics are really simple – one of those tracks where you aren’t struggling to figure out what the singer is singing.  He’s practically ‘saying’ this song out.

I’ll be the first to admit that this video has a bit too many creepy crawlies for my liking (one of my phobias) but other than that – there’s something about being out in nature at night that’s quite appealing.

What do you think about the track ?

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

p.s if you are taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge then don’t forget to share your link below !

 

tipsFor all of you taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge– we’re almost half way there !! I can’t believe that I’ve actually managed a post a day for the past 12 days.

Here are a few tips & tricks to help you stay on track for the rest of the month with this challenge (or any other blog challenge as a matter of fact)

1/ Follow the rules.  The UBC has a rule of a minimum of 100 words a post for the post to count and I’ve noticed that I’ve actually tracked my word count.  Guess what just these few lines have already hit 100 words.  You’d be surprised how many random thoughts can trigger some fab blog posts and it barely takes a 100 words !

2/ Track the challenge hash (#) tag on Twitter  I’ve saved the hash tag #blogboost on my Twitter account to read up on other members of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Not only do I get to read some great posts, it also helps inspire post ideas of my own.  The lovely ladies of UBC have also created a daily paper you can follow and use to catch up with what other authors have to say.  Make a note of the posts that strike a chord within you – maybe you could add your thoughts and create a new post out of it.  You can also find more #blogboost related tweets here.

3/ Stop Lurking and Leave Comments on other Blogs.  You have to comment on other blogs – don’t be conscious about it – just say what’s on your mind.  The blog author will definitely appreciate it; and even if your comment disagrees with what the author has to share – it encourages interaction between you, the author and the other readers too. Come on – it’s time to de-lurk now ! By leaving relevant and engaging comments (don’t just say ‘great post’); other bloggers may wander over to your blog out of curiosity.

4/ Add Your Post to the Challenge Facebook Group.  The UBC Facebook group is pretty awesome.  I’ve been a member of it for a while but today was the first time I added my post to it – and guess what – within 15 minutes – someone had come to my blog and left a comment for me ! If that wasn’t enough, that person also left me a comment on the FB link that I posted.  Double the interaction; easiest form of traffic ever and a great way to discover new bloggers !

5/ Don’t Be Afraid to Pimp Your Blog Post on FaceBook & Twitter.  That’s right folks – one of the reasons you are taking part in the blog challengpimpmybloge (amongst other things) is so that your blog gets discovered (and there’s no point denying that).  Make sure you Tweet your blog and the posts created for the challenge with the #blogboost and include @UBCBlogBoost in your tweets.  The ladies over at UBC will be more than happy to re-tweet your tweets creating more exposure for your blog. 

Don’t feel shy about posting the the UBC FaceBook group and if your blog is a public blog – then why not share it with your Facebook friends ? You never know which of your friends will re-post and share your blog to their circle of friends.  I’m signed up with NetWorkedBlogs on FB which automatically publishes my new blog posts to my FB page without me having to think about it. 

6/ Schedule Your Posts If You Must (And It’s Not Considered Cheating). I’ve never been a daily blogger so I knew taking part in this challenge would be a bit difficult. Over the past year I’ve taken part in a few memes like #MusicMonday, #WordlessWednesday and I created my own #SexySaturday which means that if I stick to a plan I have 3 posts ready each week during the challenge and I just have to focus on creating 4 other posts. In the meantime, if another blog post, photograph or quote catches my attention – I’m jotting them down in Windows Live Writer drafts and just come back to them as and when I can to complete and create new posts.  You can also use the ideas & suggestions from the UBC daily inspiration emails to create a schedule of posts.  I know that between 24th-31st Jan I’m going to be traveling for an event (clients’ wedding) hence I’m writing up posts that I can auto-publish for those dates (in case I forget or don’t have time etc.)

So there you have it – here are 6 tips to help you stay on track whilst you are participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge.  It’s helped me get through till Day 12.  I hope you’ve found this useful and if you have any other suggestions, please feel free to share your thoughts (a link or two even so others can benefit from it)

Further Reading :

  1. How To Add Your Blog to NetworkedBlogs by Michelle Shaeffr
  2. 7 Things To Do After You’ve Written That Blog Post by Melissa Reyes

p.s if you are taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge don’t forget to share your link below !

anatomy of a hug

I love this cartoon ! It describes the ultimate hug ! One of those hugs that just makes you melt and leaves your legs all shaky … It’s been a while since I’ve had one of those and I reaaaaaaaaaaaaallly want one of those hugs right now !

Since my dating diary is kinda drab – the best hugs I’ve gotten lately are from my boys (and alas these are the best friend kind).  There are some days (especially with the week I’ve just had) I reckon a a hug that makes you want to just let yourself go into another is just what I need for the ultimate pick-me up. 

You know the kind of hugs I’m talking about.  Alright folks – raise your hands if you like hugs ? Gimme a loud ‘hell ya’ if you fancy a good hug right now ?

p.s. I think I deserve a hug right now for completing Day 6 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge !

p.p.s if you are taking part in the challenge, don’t forget to share your link below

Happy New Year Everyone ! I can’t believe we’ve already hit 2012 ! I’m still recovering from an extremely insane night out with my mates at the Royal Terrace and my feet are in pain !!

I don’t tend to make New Year Resolutions (not because I can’t keep them but because resolutions change depending on circumstances).  However I did come across this image with lots of key phrases and I thought – yeah that makes sense and pretty easy to manage. (oh and today also happens to be Day 1 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge that I’m taking part in)

resolutions

Sometimes we need to take in the simple things that life has to offer us and step back to see just how much of a smile it leaves on our face.  I tend to be a very hyper (and aggressive) individual so I keep hearing my mates tell me that I should be more positive or smile more etc.  It’s not like I don’t – I do – but at times I feel like Bombay just tests every ounce of energy & patience that I have.

Looks like I’m just gonna have to turn that around for 2012 ! Do you have any New Year resolutions ? Any tips on how to stick to the ones you do make ?

p.s. if you are taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge, don’t forget to share your link below