Have a Better Life

This last weeks I’ve been posting less post. My full time work, the tiredness and some headaches haven’t allowed me to spend much in the computer at night.

Some time ago it was easier to write some post at work but now I am alone i the office and I have twice the work I had before. I really try to write but with people coming near me all the time it’s not easy to keep the windows hidden from them.

I love to write and I really prefer to write because the public speaking fear is not present. Speaking face to face to a person it’s much difficult for me so writing it’s my escape.

Next week I will star my holidays and I hope I can rest a lot to catch up with all the blogging.

I haven’t be very well lately and that has been reflected on my blogging. Lacking of posts is something I want t avoid but due to health conditions sometimes I just can’t be on the computer.

I’m doing my physiotherapy treatments every week day, six so far and no improvements to my back pain yet. Last week I started a new medicine for a disease that is not always understandable and that I’m reluctant to speak about it. My life was turning into a miserable life and I really couldn’t stand it anymore, I’ve been there before so I know when I’m on the edge. I’ll write a post about it when I feel more comfortable with it.

I have a lot to post but my ideas are not in order, my head is completely lost when it comes to blogging. So much to write, so much to do and so little time as usual. I tried to-do-lists, a blogging planner,  but as I work, it’s difficult to find a way to keep the lists with me all the time. At home I take it to my room to blog then in the morning I forget it and I go to work without it. It’s tough.

I really need a PDA or a sophisticated cell phone where I can keep all my to-do-things. I’ve got my laptop but it’s not very handy to take in the handbag so I just wished a PDA or a Iphone could cost the same as MP3 players or DVD players so that I could buy one. Meanwhile I guess I have to find an organized way to organize myself.

It all would be much easier if I only use one computer and one desk but having to work in an office does not allow me to have everything in one place without carrying files and notebooks with me.

So, how do you organize yourself? Any ideas of a good method?

One of my goals for 2009 was to get organized but until know I haven’t accomplished it.

Having a full time job outside the house makes me use the office computer during the day and at night my desktop or my laptop.

I’ve been downloading a lot of free reports about family budget, affiliate marketing, debt strategies several reports from important bloggers about better blogging, so I’ve got those reports scattered all over the place. Some are on my handbag, others are on the laptop bag, some in the living room and others in my bedroom. I try to have them around me so that when I have a little time I can take a look at them but it’s not working.

Another thing that delays my online work is that in the office computer I can’t save my passwords and sites I visit for my own security so each time I want to check my Gmail, my feed reader, reply to some post comments I spend a lot of time with logging in and afterwards logging out and deleting all the private links or cookies that are left in the computer. I also stopped using twitter so often because some of my co-workers and bosses have access to my computer and I don’t want them to sneak pick my stuff or think that I’m neglecting work to use twitter.

I don’t know if there is an easy way to manage this but it’s getting complicated.

Of course blogging is not my main job but I came to a point that I think I should have my own space at home where I can store all the passwords, reports, e-books I have related to blogging. I have a small dressing room connected with my main room and I’m thinking about getting some sort of home office furniture like a desk with a drawer where I can put my laptop and blogging related items.

As we are going through a financial crisis I’m thinking about recycling an old piece of a bar we had in the living room and maybe I can built the desk I want.

What about you that work full time? Do you check your mails and feed reader at work? How do you “hide” it from your bosses? Do you login and out several times during the day?

I’ve been reading a lot about Affiliate programs, I’ve subscribed to newsletters, I’ve read free reports, free e-books, watched videos, I’m almost an Affiliate Pro without even being a real affiliate.

I’m European, I live in Europe but my readership comes mainly from United States (also a lot from Canada and Australia) so the products I want to promote must cover those residents. I’ve got no problem in finding affiliate networks my problem is how the commission’s payment is done. I’ve signed up to these three:

Amazon.com

• I’ve got to pay Amazon a fee to receive by check and to discount the check in my bank account I have to pay more fees. Meaning: it’s not worth (at least for small amounts).
• I can receive through Gift Certificate that I can use to buy products from Amazon.com. Shipping overseas is expensive and most products can’t be sent to Europe. I’ve got around 25$ to receive now, so I’m going to try to: first exchange the gift by money with an US Blogger friend if possible, otherwise I will try and order some books. Let’s see if I don’t have to pay taxes upon arrival.

CJ – Commission Junction

This is an Affiliate Network I really like. There is a wide variety of companies and products available that I really would enjoy to promote. However:

• CJ pays through Direct Deposit to some countries including Europe but Portugal is not included, so no chance for me.
• The only chance I’ve got to receive CJ’s commissions is by bank check and I’m afraid I will pay a lot of taxes at my local bank.

PepperJam Network

I signed up for Pepperjam a few months ago and the excellent option they have is payment through PayPay. My account is pending for acceptance of this way of payment, and tomorrow I have to fax them back a Form with my PayPal details for approval. This is a new requirement and only after being accepted I can browse the Partners List. If I’m not accepted for Paypal payment, I’ll be in trouble again facing bank check fees.

I want to join other affiliate programs, specially healthy and green living related programs. I’ve checked a few sites directly but some of them are only open to US residents and others pay through bank check.

I’m really trying to promote products that will interest and will be useful to my readers but being an European it’s really tough to enter the US world. Improving my income online and having a better life are also my objective but many obstacles are on my way.

If you know some sites with healthy and green products and with an affiliate program leave me the link so that I can check if I can apply.

I recovered a little from my sad state of mind that I mentioned on previous posts. I’m trying to organize stuff around the house to reduce stress, but there is always so much to do that I always feel I’m not good enough.

Content…content is something I need to write, the problem is that when I’m feeling down, depressed I just feel like sleeping and I don’t feel like blogging. Working full time doesn’t allow me to do a lot of stuff I like, like using twitter but I’m trying to make a selection of the best and of the most interesting bloggers and following them on Twitter. It’s great when we have replies from huge bloggers!! Twitter can also be time consuming but I learn so much from it…

I’m downloading free reports and reading posts about affiliate marketing but I find it difficult to accomplish when I have so little time to improve my skills.

I also I’ve been very hesitating about what I’m going to change on my blogs, template changing is a settled point, I’m just looking around for the right template (if I ever find it), and I probably will merge two of my blogs in only one.

This blog definitely is going to be my main blog. It will be healthier, greener and more helpful when it comes to the “Have a Better Life” overall idea.

I’m going to put on this blog more of my personal experience of life and use my lifestyle to present the posts I’ll be writing. So the theme of “Have a better life” will be more personal and will involve my family, home and lifestyle issues to help you and me to have a better life.

Why not subscribe now to my feed and stay in touch with the new posts I’ll write.

Here I am writing from my Toshiba Satellite, my best buy from 2007. Although I work in an office my laptop continues to be one of my best acquisitions because it allows me to do my hobby and my second work…blogging. I can be in the living room, in the garden, in bed and still blog. If you don’t have you, you should get one for Christmas.

Lately I’ve been giving a lot of thought about my blogs, this one specially. First it was supposed to be a health/beauty related blog but along the way it changed to shopping in general and now it’s a mix of everything.

I feel I’m confusing my readers, one day I’m blogging about Pillows, another about Relax into Stretch, another about orovo or fashion contests. I really don’t know in which category I fit in right now but I also know that variety is good. Do I have a specific niche? No I don’t. I cover several areas that I feel might interest my readers.

If you are reading this post please let me know what you think about my blog. Should I continue to write about shopping, health, beauty or fitness in general or should I follow my interests in Green stuff and write Go Green posts?