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  • Types of Pollution and How to Reduce Them

    Types of Pollution and How to Reduce Them

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    Pollution is a public health concern, and is considered to be any harmful material introduced to the environment. Many materials can cause such harm and are referred to as pollutants.

    Pollutants are pervasive, as much of what it takes for humans to live their daily lives contributes harmful materials to the environment. Some pollutants are natural but still cause harm to the world’s air, land, and water.

    Pollutants can be things like:

    • Volcanic ash
    • Trash and sewage
    • Factory runoffs
    • Car exhaust
    • Burning coal for electricity
    • Pesticides

    Environmental pollution is a problem all over the world. While it’s much more prevalent in urban areas, traces of pollutants can be found in the most natural of places due to air and water currents that can spread harmful materials across the globe.

    The frightening fact is that there is more than one type of pollution. The comforting part is that there are steps to slow and prevent pollution. Keep reading to find out more.

    Related: How to Get Funding and Grants for Green Startups

    What types of pollution are there?

    Air pollution

    Air pollution is any hazardous substance, natural or manufactured, that exists in the air. Air pollution can be invisible, but it can often be seen.

    If you’ve ever been to Los Angeles and driven the 405, gone on a hike, or sat on the beach and seen a hazy brown layer hovering above the city or the ocean, that is visible air pollution.

    This haze, often called smog, is not just a problem in Los Angeles; it’s a worldwide issue.

    Natural air pollution can come from:

    • Wildfire smoke
    • Volcanic eruption ash and gas
    • Methane gas from soil decomposition

    Manufactured air pollution can come from:

    • Vehicle emissions
    • Homes heated by fuel oils and natural gas
    • Manufacturing and power generation byproducts, especially coal-fueled
    • Chemical production fumes

    The chemicals that are most concerning as sources of air pollution are:

    • Particulate matter
    • Carbon monoxide
    • Ozone
    • Nitrogen dioxide
    • Sulfur dioxide

    The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 99 percent of the world’s population breathes air above the recommended contamination limits. People in metropolitan areas are at higher risk; however, everyone is affected.

    One of the most problematic parts of air pollution is that the particles, themselves, are too small to be seen and can cause serious health problems upon inhalation.

    Health studies have found that air pollution is directly linked to the following:

    • Breast cancer
    • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
    • Lung cancer
    • Cardiovascular diseases
    • Strokes
    • Pregnancy risks
    • Respiratory diseases
    • Dementia
    • Asthma

    Data suggests that air pollution is responsible for one in six deaths worldwide. That number continues to rise, and most deaths are considered premature.

    Related: Is Air Pollution Making You Dumb?

    Water pollution

    Polluted water is water that manufactured or natural chemicals have contaminated. Similar to air pollution, some water pollution can be visible, and some cannot.

    Some water pollution is easy to see, as the water is murky, contains trash, or gives off a foul odor. Other polluted water might look completely safe.

    Natural water pollution happens through natural gas and oil leaks into a water source. For example, Coal Oil Point Seep in California is a petroleum seep that leaks oil into the ocean — so much so that it creates tar balls that wash up onto the beach or decompose in the ocean.

    While nature contributes to water pollution, human activities have a much bigger hand in the problem.

    Manufactured water pollution includes:

    • Factory runoffs that create cyanobacteria
    • Mining and drilling that creates sulfuric acid
    • Oil spills that kill millions of animals
    • Radioactive pollution and solid waste
    • Buried chemical waste that causes cancer and birth defects
    • Untreated sewage that contaminates water and reduces fishery
    • Fertilizer with phosphorus and nitrogen causes cyanobacteria
    • Power plants that heat water and cause thermal pollution, which can ruin local river ecosystems
    • Plastic pollution, like bags that suffocate aquatic life
    • Toxic chemicals that contaminatemarine life, which humans then consume

    In addition to anthropogenic water pollution, acid rain can result from air pollution and water pollution. Acid rain is not just a term that sounds like the plot of an end-of-the-world sci-fi movie; it is an actual chemical process.

    When nitrogen oxide mixes in the air with sulfur dioxide and those two chemicals come into contact with a body of water, they combine and evolve into a type of acid. This is one of the ways that pollution is spread all over the world.

    When the chemicals fall as acid rain, wind can carry the pollutants worldwide. This is why some chemicals can be found in areas that should have no traces of them.

    Related: PVC Plastics Are Polluting Our Planet. This Startup Has a Solution.

    Noise pollution

    Noise might not be the environmental crisis you think of when considering pollution. And while it might not contaminate the air or water, that does not mean it doesn’t negatively affect society.

    Noise pollution is considered to be persistent, disturbing, or unwanted noise. It’s considered pollution because it is a phenomenon that affects the quality of life of those in the environment.

    If you live in a metropolitan area, you are likely more accustomed to noise pollution than those in rural areas. Like other types of pollution, noise pollution is connected to health issues.

    Noise pollution sources include:

    • Emission products
    • Cars, trucks, motorcycles, trains, transport equipment
    • Airplanes and helicopters
    • Construction and construction equipment

    Studies show that issues related to noise pollution include:

    • Stress-related illnesses
    • High blood pressure
    • Speech interference
    • Hearing loss
    • Disruption of sleep
    • Loss of productivity

    Related: How AI Is Poised to Help Humanity

    Light pollution

    Light pollution, also referred to as photo pollution, is an excessive amount of light that creates a glow in the night sky. Light pollution is another type of pollution that people might not consider because it is less widely spoken about.

    However, it can affect humans and animals. Like noise pollution, light pollution is much more common in city environments.

    Light pollution is caused by:

    • Car lights
    • Streetlamps
    • Offices, buildings, and factories
    • Outdoor advertising, like billboards

    While some light is necessary for safety, it can negatively affect the circadian rhythm of humans and animals. Interrupting the circadian rhythm causes a decrease in melatonin production, which is directly connected to sleep quality.

    Light pollution and its adverse effects on sleep are connected to:

    • Sleep deprivation
    • Fatigue
    • Headaches
    • Stress
    • Anxiety

    Because circadian rhythm is a characteristic all organisms possess, light pollution affects animals too.

    Animals base their migration patterns on seasons and the amount of light that guides them. Animals that live or migrate through areas with excessive light cannot see enough of the starlight or moonlight and can end up confused in their migration patterns.

    When animals fall far enough from the migration patterns that they are completely lost, they often die — ultimately affecting the circle of life.

    Related: The No-Excuse Approach to Sleep and Work Performance for Entrepreneurs

    Soil pollution

    Soil pollution is a type of land pollution involving contaminated soil that can harm those who touch it, ingest it, or breathe in its toxic fumes.

    Soil pollution can be caused by the following:

    • Chemicals from byproducts of industrial hazardous waste
    • Waste from homes, livestock, or municipal areas
    • Agrochemicals
    • Petroleum-derived products
    • Oil spills
    • Leaching from landfills
    • Fertilizers and pesticides
    • Irrigation with untreated wastewater
    • Land application of sewage sludge

    Soil is an integral part of the ecosystem, making its contamination dangerous from the ground up. Polluted soil can create new species of pests and diseases that can throw the balance of the current ecosystem out of hand. Animals who experience toxicity from contaminated soil are then eaten by other animals higher in the food chain, and the cycle continues.

    Polluted soil can affect humans, whether they eat plants or animals, because antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and genes can spread, which affects immune systems and the ability to fight off new pathogens.

    In addition to health issues, soil pollution significantly impacts food security. With so many people depending on crops for livelihood, crop depletion due to decreasing quality in soil has affected over 40 percent of the world’s population.

    Related: It’s Time to Put Our Soils First. Long-Term Global Food Production Depends on It.

    How to combat pollution

    Some of the facts about pollution seem bleak. However, while much destruction has been caused to this planet, there are steps to take to slow pollution.

    Ways to decrease air pollution

    There are several different ways, no matter your lifestyle, to do your part in increasing air quality. Look at the comprehensive list below to reduce air pollution through various scenarios.

    Day-to-day strategies include:

    • Buy products with the Energy Star label
    • Utilize carpools, take public transportation, bike, or walk
    • Follow gasoline refueling instructions, do not spill fuel, and always make sure your gas cap is tightened
    • Keep all vehicle engines properly tuned, and tires inflated
    • Use environmentally safe cleaning products, paints, and other products
    • Practice composting and mulching
    • Light gas logs instead of wood logs

    There are days when high ozone levels or high particle levels are expected throughout the year. Many people may feel health effects like itchy eyes, throat, and nose when this happens — somewhat like allergies.

    When high ozone days or particle days are predicted, it is essential to reduce your carbon footprint as much as possible.

    On high ozone level days, you can:

    • Choose a cleaner commute using the Google Maps feature or using rideshare options like public transportation, carpooling, walking, or bike riding
    • Conserve electricity by turning off the air conditioning or setting it to above 78 degrees
    • Complete any gasoline-powered equipment activities or chores in the evening or on another day
    • Avoid lighting a fireplace or using a wood stove
    • Avoid burning materials like leaves, grass, or trash

    Related: 5 Ways Technology Can Help Tackle Air Pollution

    Ways to decrease water pollution

    While individuals might not have any control over how factories and plants care for their water, people can do their part to promote clean water in everyday life.

    10 ways to decrease daily water pollution include:

    1. Install a toilet dam and low-flow toilet in your bathroom
    2. Regularly check your toilet for silent leaks
    3. Use a water-efficient showerhead, take shorter showers, draw less bathwater, and try not to run the water while brushing your teeth
    4. Compost scraps instead of running garbage disposal
    5. Keep a gallon of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of using cold tap water from the running sink
    6. Reduce the use of washing machines and dryers by running full loads, using cold water, and hang-drying clothes
    7. Use drought-resistant plants and grasses for landscaping and minimize the number of times per week for lawn watering
    8. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean pavement
    9. Wash your car less and use a car wash that cleans and recycles water instead of washing your car yourself
    10. Install porous pavement, like gravel, so rainwater can recharge groundwater supplies instead of running off a concrete driveway

    Ways to prevent noise and light pollution

    Again, noise pollution is something individuals might not have excessive control over, as most noise and light pollution is caused by large vehicles, planes, industrial activity, and commercial buildings.

    However, you can do your part to prevent noise pollution by being a kind neighbor (especially during nighttime) and ensuring your car muffler is functioning.

    Related: After Work Transitions When Working From Home

    Ways to prevent soil pollution

    The World Health Organization, United Nations, and other organizations are working to create prevention strategies for soil pollution to decrease health risks and increase food security.

    Soil pollution prevention strategies include:

    • Government regulations on soil pollution
    • Limiting contamination accumulation
    • Promoting sustainable practices of soil management
    • Issuing calls to action to restore world ecosystems

    What can you do to reduce pollution?

    The topic of global warming has been top-of-mind for many people and government organizations for years.

    Scientists are learning more about fossil fuels, different forms of pollution, and the effects pollution has on the environment and human health. World governments are working to communicate this information to their citizens.

    Pollution and its negative contributions to climate change can be seen in the everyday lives of individuals everywhere, from smog in the air to rainforest depletion to the melting of the polar ice caps.

    Global citizens must continue soaking in education and taking small steps to do their part in reducing personal use and activities of materials that can result in harm to the environment.

    These small steps might take some time to make into habits, but they can prove worth it in the long run.

    For more information on pollution, climate change, and what you can do to help, visit Entrepreneur today.

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    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • This Is the Biggest Lie People Put on Their Resume

    This Is the Biggest Lie People Put on Their Resume

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    Do you ever find yourself fudging the truth on your resume?

    You’re not alone.

    ResumeBuilder.com surveyed 1,250 Americans about what they’ve lied about when looking for a job. Seventy-two percent admitted to lying on their resume.

    The biggest lie was about education, with 44% of respondents saying they stretched the truth regarding their academic bona fides.

    Years of experience marked the second biggest falsehood, and skills or abilities rang in third.

    “People lie during the hiring process when they don’t have the all the required skills, education or experience, but feel that they can embellish or lie in order to secure the position,” says Stacie Haller, Chief Career Advisor at CareerBuilder.com.

    “They know that the company will not verify their education or their skills, and they simply hope to make their way through the process without being found out.”

    Haller says that the numbers have increased in recent years “as our culture is seemingly becoming more accepting of lying.”

    Related: How to Tell If Someone Is Lying From a Psychologist Who Trains the FBI

    Lies during the job interview

    The lying game doesn’t end with the resume.

    Sixty-eight percent of survey respondents also came clean about being dishonest during their job interviews, with men playing Pinnochio ( 71%) more than women (65%).

    The number 1 lie told during an interview? Years of experience. People also lied about their skills, abilities, and responsibilities at previous jobs.

    Respondents admitted to being dishonest in their job applications, too, with 30% saying they’ve lied about their race or ethnicity.

    The reason was unclear.

    “More research is needed to understand why candidates are choosing to answer voluntary self-identification questions incorrectly,” Haller said. “These questions are asked on applications in part so that an organization can create a diverse and equitable workforce. If candidates are lying, this may hinder their efforts.”

    Is it ok to lie a little?

    The results of the ResumeBuilder.com survey may make it seem like it’s not only acceptable to lie a little when applying for a job — you’d be a fool not to.

    Lying pays off — literally. Sixty-five percent of respondents say lying in the hiring process helped them land a higher salary.

    But Haller disputes the notion that lying is just par for the course.

    She says that getting caught in a lie can have serious consequences.

    “As a recruiter, when I have found out a candidate was lying on a resume or during the interview process, I would no longer work with them. Recruiters, headhunters, hiring managers, and HR professionals will remember you if you are caught lying, and this can follow a candidate for several years.”

    So next time you use alternative facts on your resume, job application, or interview, consider this: Is it better to be truthful and remembered as an honest employee, or lie and risk the chance of soiling your career and reputation?

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    Jonathan Small

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  • Everyone Should Have Fridays Off, Study Says

    Everyone Should Have Fridays Off, Study Says

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    This story originally appeared on Business Insider.


    Arif Qazi/Insider

    More companies are finding success with the four-day workweek. A recent trial of 33 companies had overwhelmingly successful results.

    The results are in: It’s time for your company to stop working on Fridays (or Mondays).

    The latest, perhaps most convincing evidence yet for the shift to a four-day workweek comes from a six-month trial which began in February 2022 in which 33 companies with employees in six countries decreased their employees’ workload to four days, or 32 hours, a week. Organized by 4 Day Week Global, the real-world experiment sought to see whether the employees could be just as productive in 80% of the time — all for the same pay. The results were overwhelmingly positive: Companies in the program reported increased revenue and improved employee health and well-being, and had a positive impact on the environment. And after the success, a hundred more companies that together employ thousands of people are considering or are already implementing the same approach.

    So if you’ve ever tried to persuade your boss to shift to a four-day workweek, this is the best evidence yet that it can work. The results of the new report were unequivocal: The four-day workweek was better for everyone.

    ‘It probably sounds crazy, but it works’

    At the outset of the trial, employees at Soothing Solutions, a Dundalk, Ireland-based company that makes cough lozenges for children, were skeptical that a four-day working week would be feasible, let alone profitable. But the founders Sinéad Crowther and Denise Lauaki had high hopes. When the company was founded in 2017, the duo wanted to establish a people-focused culture, so when Crowther learned about 4 Day Week’s program in 2021, she saw it as a way to attract and retain talent.

    Since Soothing Solutions hired its first employees last year, no staff members have left the company, and Crowther told me the anecdotal feedback about the four-day week had been so glowing that it almost moved her to tears. “One of our employees has an elderly parent who was terminally ill, and she got to spend three, four days a week with them,” she told me. “She said nothing can give her that time back. She wouldn’t have got to do that in any other job.” Another worker has been able to pursue her passion for photography in her time off, Crowther said, adding that “it turns out, she’s a fantastic photographer!”

    Because Soothing Solutions started operations using the four-day week, the founders don’t have anything to compare their business growth to, but Crowther isn’t worried about any negative impact a four-day week might have on business, even as the company grows. When we spoke, Soothing Solutions had just launched on Amazon and had its first UK sale. Its products are available in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, and Scotland, with plans to expand further. “We have absolutely no concerns,” she said. “It probably sounds crazy, but it works.”

    4 Day Week Global is a nonprofit community platform that promotes the four-day workweek by helping companies implement it and by funding research into the future of work. The organization was established after the success of a landmark trial program at its cofounder Andrew Barnes’ New Zealand company Perpetual Guardian. To conduct trials at companies and analyze their results, the group has partnered with academics at Harvard Business School, Oxford University, and the University of Pennsylvania.

    The four-day-week movement has been gaining momentum on the heels of the Great Resignation and the push from employees to rethink the way we work. The tech startup Bolt became the first unicorn to trial it in 2021, finding it so successful that it implemented it after three months. Other trials of shorter weeks have found success as well: A 2021 trial in Iceland found positive results, and a 2019 research paper by Henley Business School found that two-thirds of businesses operating on a four-day week saw employee productivity increase.

    There is some pushback, though. A shorter week could mean employees’ workload increases each day, causing more stress rather than less. For companies that experience significantly busier periods around holidays or during the summer, it may not be possible to extend the program across the whole year. And many companies, such as banks or insurance companies that require around-the-clock customer service or news organizations that follow a 24-hour news cycle, aren’t able to shutter for even one day each week. But in those cases, companies could approach the four-day week the way they already handle weekends: Simply arrange teams’ schedules so there are always people working.

    No downsides

    The ongoing push for a four-day workweek isn’t the first time there’s been a movement to upend the traditional model of work. Until 1926, the standard US workweek lasted six days. Then, Henry Ford reduced the workweek at his namesake company down to five days. He believed an extra day off would increase workers’ productivity and give workers more leisure time to spend more money — hopefully on Ford cars. The trend caught on, and, after organizing by workers in favor of the shift, the Fair Labor Standards Act set the standard for the workweek at 44 hours; an amendment in 1940 set the now-standard 40-hour week. Fast forward to today, and our norms appear ripe for a shake-up once again.

    Barry Prost, a cofounder of the Irish company Rent a Recruiter, a specialist talent-acquisition service, took part in the six-month 4 Day Week trial with the goal of addressing staff turnover — a problem for many businesses since the coronavirus pandemic. When the pandemic began, Rent a Recruiter was already moving to a permanent remote-work model, and after hearing about the program the company decided to try the four-day week as well. To Prost, it was particularly important to ensure the switch didn’t hurt clients. Despite these reservations, Prost told me that not only had customers been supportive of the modified schedule, but some had even asked about implementing the policy themselves.

    Crucially, the new approach has brought huge gains to the small startup, which employs 20 people. Over the six-month trial period, Rent a Recruiter doubled its gross profits and calculated that its staff’s productivity doubled over that time as well. And though it wasn’t the initial motivation, Prost told me the benefits had shown up in more than just the company’s bottom line. “Anecdotally, we have a manager who’s also a psychotherapist — she’s now able to spend more time on her therapy practice,” he said. “We’ve got mums and parents who are able to drop off and pick up their kids on a Friday, which they wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.”

    While staff well-being and retention are important, the trial also was associated with a revenue boost among the participating companies. Among the 16 companies in the trial that provided revenue data, combined revenue for the companies, weighted by size, increased by 8.14%, which for some companies was nearly 40% higher than revenue growth during the same six-month period of the previous year.

    The companies that took part in the trial have reported almost no downsides. None of the 27 companies that filled out a final survey for participants said they had any plans to return to a five-day week. And nearly all of the 495 employees involved in the trial wanted to maintain the four-day working week. According to the post-trial surveys, everyone from CEOs and managers to junior employees noticed far-reaching benefits, and a new UK-wide trial is now underway.

    Fewer work hours may also help the environment and gender inequality

    While adopters of a four-day workweek might be primarily seeking a business impact — in revenue or employee well-being — there could also be less-obvious benefits.

    For one thing, less time working correlates with lower carbon emissions — people are commuting less, and businesses use less energy. The 4 Day Week trial found that participants spent an hour less time commuting than before the trial. And as Orla Kelly, an environmental sociologist at University College Dublin who was the lead researcher for the 4 Day Week trial, told me, the shorter workweek also helps people make more pro-environmental choices. “When people are working longer hours, they tend to be in this kind of work-spend cycle where consumption patterns tend to be quite intensive,” Kelly said. With less free time, people are more likely to buy food in disposable plastic packaging, drive to work instead of walking or taking public transportation, and spend more money on material goods. Kelly tells me that because this is hard to measure, the research is still in its early stages, but she hopes to dive deeper into the idea and provide more concrete evidence of the environmental benefits of a shorter working week.

    A four-day week also provides vast improvements in well-being, life satisfaction, and sleep for women. Since women tend to take on more caring responsibilities, the extra day off work was most beneficial for them, allowing the extra load of emotional labor to be spread more evenly. In Ireland, where many of the companies in the trial were based, 70% of part-time workers are women. “Women tend to often be in jobs that pay less, so they tend to be the ones that move to part time, even if they don’t want to,” Kelly told me. In the past few years especially, women have been leaving the workforce in droves, or cutting back hours, over burnout or a lack of childcare options. “This can be problematic for their long-term career trajectory, their pension contributions, and the dynamics of power within the household,” Kelly said. Cutting back working hours for everyone helps women stay in their full-time jobs and not feel as if they’re getting pushed out of the workforce.

    It’s unlikely that the world will shift to a four-day week overnight, but the trial produced real benefits and found it’s possible for many different kinds of corporations, as long as they are willing, to make the change. As companies continue to grapple with attracting and retaining staff, the four-day week could be a relatively simple solution. And after the latest trial, there aren’t many excuses not to try it out.

    Molly Lipson is a freelance writer and an organizer from the UK.

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    Molly Lipson

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  • 3-Step Process to Stop Getting Ghosted

    3-Step Process to Stop Getting Ghosted

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    Business development consultant Terry Rice shares his tips for winning bigger deals and avoiding getting ghosted, no matter which field you’re in:

    1. Ask a potential client, “What would need to happen in order for you to be happy about our partnership?” You can rephrase that as needed to better fit your business. The overall goal is to get clarity on the outcomes they’re looking for.
    2. Once you understand their needs, ask, “Would you like to hear how I can help?” Assuming they say yes, you now have permission to pitch. The good thing is that your pitch will flow more naturally in the conversation, so it won’t feel like an abrupt pivot.
    3. Finally, ask, “What will prevent you from saying yes today?” This question allows you to uncover all their objections in real-time as opposed to going back and forth via email or just getting ghosted.

    Using this framework on your next call will give you more clarity and confidence, but remember, even as the seller, you should always be the buyer. Only work with people that respect you and you truly want to help.

    Related: How Do I Generate Leads Without Annoying People?

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    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • I ruined my family’s finances by withdrawing from my 401(k) to buy a house – I regret it

    I ruined my family’s finances by withdrawing from my 401(k) to buy a house – I regret it

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    I recently made a panic decision to withdraw all my money from one retirement account and I am now closing on a house in February (about $200,000). I am 36 years old, married and have a 1-year-old. Half of me is regretting it, and I’m worried about next year’s taxes due to the withdrawal and the 10% penalty I paid.

    I have been saving up money with my family in order to buy our first home. Recently, however, interest rates have risen, making me worry that this window to get an affordable house was closing. In a fit of panic, I withdrew all of our $26,000 saved money from my 401(k), putting it in a high-yield savings account (3.75%). We have now chosen a home and will be using around $18,000 of this money for the down payment. 

    I am now worried that I might have to pay income taxes and a penalty for the withdrawal itself. I am extremely anxious over this situation as I feel I have destroyed our family’s financial future and that we cannot afford to pay taxes on the money I withdrew. 

    My main concern or question is, is there a way to tell the IRS that this money is being used toward a house? Retroactively? 

    See: I’m a single dad maxing out my retirement accounts and earning $100,000 – how do I make the most of my retirement dollars?

    Dear reader, 

    The first thing you need to do: Take a breath. Most decisions should not be made in a panic, especially when involving money. 

    Because you withdrew from your 401(k), yes, you will have to pay taxes and a penalty. Had it been a loan, you’d have to pay interest on what you borrowed, but it would be to your own account. Keep in mind however that loans from your employer-based retirement plans are also risky – if you were to separate from your job, for whatever reason, you’d be responsible to pay it back or it would be treated as a distribution.

    I understand your sense of urgency in wanting to buy a home during a more favorable market, but your time now should be spent on getting yourself financially situated and saving for the future. 

    “I wouldn’t advise this or done it this way, but he’s not stuck and it’s not detrimental – it’s just a tough lesson to learn,” said Jordan Benold, a certified financial planner at Benold Financial Planning.  

    Get very serious about your current finances and find a way to earmark a portion of your income to savings if at all possible. There are a few things you should be doing. 

    First, assess how much you will be paying in taxes and penalties. I’m not sure what your tax bracket is, but did this distribution push you into a higher tax bracket? You can use a calculator or talk to an accountant to see what that withdrawal will incur in taxes – then make sure you can pay it, or talk to the Internal Revenue Service about an extension. There are penalties for failing to file your taxes or pay them, and you don’t want to add that on top of your stress. 

    Also see: We have 25 years until retirement and are saving 25% of our income – are we doing it right? And are we saving too much?

    The IRS may not be able to do anything for you in terms of waiving those penalties – though it doesn’t hurt to ask, even if you have to wait on the phone for a while to talk to someone – but communication and attention to detail are key when it comes to your taxes. Getting an IRS agent on the phone and talking through your situation won’t be time wasted. There are so many rules, and an agent can help make sense of your options.

    Read: The days of IRS forgiveness for RMD mistakes may soon be over

    Once you get that sorted, look extremely carefully at whatever money you have coming in and what’s going out. You’re about to close on a home, and that costs money – not just the home itself, but all of the extras associated with closing. You may also need money for insurance, furniture, any repairs and so on if you haven’t factored that in yet, so fit that into your budget for when you sign the papers. Beyond that, list every expense you expect to have for the next 12 months – home insurance and taxes, a mortgage or utilities, groceries, medicine, any other nonnegotiable costs and add it all up. Don’t forget anything – ask your partner if there’s anything you may have forgotten. 

    Then compare it to your income. Are you under? Are you over? What changes can you make without totally draining your happiness? I always advocate for a balance…yes, in some cases you have to omit a few expenses for the time being when building up an emergency savings account or paying down debt, but don’t completely rob yourself of joy or all of your hard work may backfire. If you really need to buckle down, make a separate list of activities and entertainment you can get for free (or as close to free as possible)—walks in the park or on the beach with your partner and child, museums on free days, pot lucks and at-home movie nights with family and friends and so on. 

    Want more actionable tips for your retirement savings journey? Read MarketWatch’s “Retirement Hacks” column

    Earmark a portion of your income to replenish your retirement savings before you try saving for any other goals. (This is separate from an emergency savings account, however – you should have one of those.) You may do that with payroll deductions in your 401(k), or also by allocating some of your savings to an IRA outside of the 401(k). 

    Take some time to learn the rules of your retirement plans. For example, an IRA allows an investor to take $10,000 out of the account penalty-free if it’s for a first-time home purchase (whereas a 401(k) does not have that exception). It may be too late for that, but there are other perks with various retirement accounts. 

    The 401(k) has a higher contribution limit and also comes with the possibility of employer matches (if your company offers it), whereas an IRA allows for penalty-free withdrawals for college. With a traditional IRA, you’d have to pay taxes on the withdrawal, whereas with a Roth IRA you’ve already paid the taxes and won’t have to pay any more for withdrawing from your contributions (you may have to pay taxes on the earnings portion, so follow distribution rules closely).

    Remember – you don’t want to make distributions from your retirement savings for just anything. You can borrow money for a home or college, but you can’t borrow money for retirement, so it’s important to protect those accounts. Familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of all accounts so that you can maximize your savings and diversify your withdrawal options when you finally get to retirement. 

    So just buckle down, get yourself in order and think of the future. “He’s got plenty of time – 30 to 40 years to work,” Benold said. “This might be a distant memory that he hopes he can forget.” 

    Have a question about your own retirement savings? Email us at HelpMeRetire@marketwatch.com

    Readers: Do you have suggestions for this reader? Add them in the comments below.

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  • 3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Social Skills

    3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Social Skills

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When reaching your goals in life, you need other people. Even if you are not in it for the money, we need other people for domestic comfort, companionship, etc. When interacting with others, it is essential to have some level of social skills. This includes listening, speaking and having the ability to read body language. Having these skills is especially important as an entrepreneur.

    When I was 15-16 years old, I went to create my first business once my YouTube channel got demonetized. This business was a social media marketing agency. To acquire customers, I had to put myself out there.

    This includes making lots of cold calls, attending networking events where everyone was over 30 and putting myself in many social situations far out of my comfort zone. Here are the three steps I took to build my social skills as an entrepreneur:

    Related: 5 Social Skills Every Entrepreneur Needs to Master

    1. Consuming content

    The first step I took for building my social skills at 15-16 years old was consuming content.

    The first business-related book I ever read was Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. This book completely changed my view of the world and further expanded my interest in self-development books. Some of the books I read during this one-year phase that improved my social skills were:

    • How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

    • The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

    • How to Develop Self-Confidence & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

    • Why Courage Matters: The Way to a Braver Life by John McCain

    All these books gave me a deep insight into how to communicate with others for various purposes. The common theme among all these books was to listen, ask questions and focus more on the other person.

    Whenever I didn’t have time to read books, I would tap into audiobooks, short videos and podcasts. Consuming content through these alternate mediums allowed me to learn and build my social skills while busy doing other things.

    My book phase lasted for precisely one year. I read over 56 books, and eventually, I got tired of reading them because some of the information was clashing against each other.

    Don’t get me wrong. Consuming content is good, but you don’t want to consume too much. Eventually, you need to put yourself out there and apply what you are learning. This brings me to my next point of putting yourself out there.

    Related: 4 Important Social Skills You Need to Succeed at Work

    2. Putting yourself out there

    The best teacher of reality is reality. No book, video or class can teach as well as reality can. When I was in high school, I was constantly putting myself out there.

    I would skip school and show up to networking events in downtown Atlanta. I was always the youngest person in the room when I showed up. The first couple of times was terrifying, but eventually, I got used to it.

    When I moved out of my parents’ house, I made it a priority to plan my day outside of the house. Doing this made it easier to make friends and develop my social skills. Putting yourself out there sounds quite intimidating, especially when it comes to getting rejected.

    Related: 4 Tips to Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone and Living Your Dream Life

    3. Don’t be afraid of rejection

    Let’s be honest. Getting rejected sucks. No one likes the feeling of hearing “no.” I used to be the worst at handling rejection until I started cold calling. The first ten times of getting hung up on did not feel good, but after a while, you begin to realize that rejection isn’t as bad as it sounds.

    I once set a goal to meet two people a day. Throughout that journey, I quickly realized that not everyone wanted to talk to me. As far as a reason, it wasn’t because they didn’t like me or anything like that. It was often bad timing. Maybe they:

    This experience shifted my mindset that rejection is just bad timing, and that mindset change helped me stop taking rejection personally.

    It doesn’t matter if you are a business owner, entrepreneur or someone just going through school. We need all need each other to reach our goals. Trying to make it on your own is very hard and often may take a lot more time, energy and money.

    Take the time to learn basic social skills, and polish them through daily practice. You will make mistakes early on, but eventually, your hard work will pay massive dividends.

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    Dejon Brooks

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  • How to Outrank AI-Generated Content

    How to Outrank AI-Generated Content

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    ChatGPT, an AI-powered content creation tool, has gained widespread popularity. GPT stands for Generative Pre-training Transformer. It is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that can generate human-like content by analyzing language patterns and a knowledge database. Marketers are using it to produce massive quantities of high-quality content, but it lacks credibility without a recognized author. That’s where you can leverage Google EAT and other tactics to outrank GPT spammers and your competition.

    What is Google EAT?

    EAT — or Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness — is a ranking signal in Google’s algorithm. Real people called “quality raters” use it to determine the quality and relevance of search results based on Search Quality Rater Guidelines. This feedback helps train Google’s algorithm to deliver better results to users.

    • Expertise is the author’s depth of knowledge on the topic. You can demonstrate expertise through educational credentials, professional experience and published works.

    • Authority is the author’s reputation within an industry or community. You can demonstrate authority through media mentions, industry awards and speaking engagements.

    • Trustworthiness is the credibility and reliability of the content and its source. You can demonstrate trustworthiness through references and citations, transparent author bios and clear contact information.

    In general, websites with high EAT are more likely to appear higher on Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) compared to other content where all other factors are equal. EAT is especially important for websites in industries where accurate and reliable information is critical, such as healthcare, finance and legal.

    Related: 7 Best SEO Tools to Help You Rank Higher in Google

    Why Google EAT matters during an explosion of machine-generated content

    As ChatGPT and other automated content creation tools become more popular, we can expect a surge in search engine spam. These tools can produce content quickly and inexpensively. Consequently, Google must adjust its algorithm to prioritize credible writers. A viable solution is to give more weight to the EAT ranking signal. They’ll continue to prioritize articles associated with trusted authors and fine-tune their algorithm to detect the legitimacy and quality of content attributed to them. Google must also score content according to the value of the information contained and stylistic attributes such as engagement and readability.

    I recently described how human writers have some advantages over AI on a podcast. People have imagination and can generate original data with surveys and experiments. We can then use data storytelling to make our content stand out in SERPs. We can also grow our audience on social media and drive traffic to our pages. This “social signal” can increase the legitimacy of our content.

    Related: Top 5 Ways AI Can Enhance Your Content-Creation Process

    What to do when you can’t demonstrate EAT on your own

    If you have a limited amount of influence, you can leverage the Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness of established authors and influencers to grow your brand. Here’s how:

    1. Pay top influencers in your industry to write articles, record videos and create other content they agree not to publish elsewhere until after Google indexes your pages. Be sure to disclose payments when legally required to do so.

    2. Identify, quote and write about well-respected people in your industry. Then, contact them, or tag them in social posts that point back to your content. Some of these people will share your content with their audiences.

    3. Build genuine relationships with famous people in your industry. You can network with influencers at events, on LinkedIn and on other social platforms. Transform those relationships into mutually beneficial collaborations to grow your authority.

    Related: How Influencer Marketing Took Power, and What the Future Holds

    Machine-generated content will improve, and platforms will use it to deliver personalized content. Authors can use it for ideation, outlines and summaries. However, spammers will use it for gaming search engines. To future-proof yourself as a content creator, optimize for Google EAT, and create unique articles that only humans can initiate.

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    Dennis Consorte

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  • How to Fly First Class For Cheap and Without Paying Full Price

    How to Fly First Class For Cheap and Without Paying Full Price

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Once you’ve experienced the luxuries of flying First Class, it’s nearly impossible to return to the cramped, close-knit quarters of coach. The extra space, next-level service, convenience and perks of First and Business Class are necessary if you want your flying experience to be memorable and arrive at your destination feeling refreshed.

    On the flip side, the exorbitant price of a First Class seat can make you feel like a sucker, and as we all know, with the way airlines price tickets these days, it’s a strong possibility that everyone sitting around you paid a different price for exactly the same seat.

    So how do you get the best deal for the seat you want?

    I travel extensively for work, and my wife and I love to travel for pleasure. Flying is a part of our lives, and thankfully we can afford it, but there are times when I question whether paying for First Class is worth the extra legroom, priority boarding and “complimentary” drinks. Yet between myself, my wife and my executive assistant, no one has the time to do a deep dive into the inner workings of the airline industry’s pricing structures.

    Related: American Airlines is Dropping First Class On International Flights

    One of my clients, Matt Bennett, aka “Mr. Upgrade,” is an expert at shopping for airline tickets. He always says to me that shopping for airline tickets is very much about mindset. You’ll likely find the deals if you rethink how you travel and shop for tickets. He taught me valuable mindset hacks, techniques and strategies for getting First or Business Class tickets for little more than the price of economy seats and has given me permission to share a few of them.

    1. Buy miles and points

    Typically we think of collecting airline miles through flying, but credit card points are much more valuable than airline miles because you can transfer them as needed to many airline partners, with better redemption rates than the airline you are most loyal to otherwise. You can buy up to 500,000 American Express points annually for 2.5 cents each, and you can also buy miles with many airlines for as low as 1.2 cents each when they’re on sale.

    Through the buy miles for cash strategy, you can get $30,000 First Class tickets for under $3,000.

    Related: How to Choose a Seat on a Plane

    2. Be flexible with your dates

    Be on the lookout for flash Business Class fares and plan your bucket list and vacation travels around those. It sounds simple, but it’s a strategy that works. Airlines sell cheap First and Business Class tickets when there is low business traveler demand, but you won’t find them in endless searches. Sign up for premium cabin flash fare alerts from sites like FirstClassFlyer.com, as the airlines seldom promote surplus premium seat fares.

    3. Be open to accidental bucket list experiences

    This one isn’t obvious, but it’s brilliant. Sometimes we get stuck in our head that we want to do one thing, so much so that we put blinders on and can’t see opportunities right in front of us.

    Bennett learned this in his desire to go to Sydney, Australia. First Class tickets to Sydney typically cost $20,000+, but upon research, he noticed mileage seats available to Melbourne. He went to Melbourne, caught a Serena Williams match at the Australian Open, then hopped on an inexpensive commuter flight to Sydney. Accidental bucket list.

    Related: 8 Rule-Bending Travel Hacks That Help You Fly Like a Boss

    4. Try the Emirates waitlist strategy

    Emirates flies to more places than you think, and their service is outstanding. Emirates is an Amex partner, so the fast and quick way to get on Emirates is to use Amex points (and remember, you can buy those points if you don’t have enough).

    If the airline’s website is unavailable, pick up the phone and get on the waitlist. Emirates often allows you to waitlist up to three dates. About 50% of the time, a date will open up for free award travel at a reduced rate, especially for close-in dates.

    Related: What Emirates Airline Can Teach You About Brand Advocacy

    5. Turn your business trip into a vacation

    If you’re traveling for business, look for leisure fares that allow stopovers and tack on a side trip. For instance, if you have a business trip to Miami, you can buy a ticket on American Airlines all the way to St. Thomas or Puerto Rico, with a stopover in Miami. Sometimes this can drive down the price of a First Class fare. You get a free side trip when you have a higher-fare business route and tack on a side trip that allows stopovers with the city you were otherwise going to.

    On trips to Europe, you can often add Cairo (think Pyramids and Luxor) or New Delhi (Taj Mahal) for free. Sometimes it will even drive down your original, Europe-only fare, so it can be less than free to add the unforgettable side trip.

    Related: Why You Should Take Vacation Days While on Business Trips

    6. Freeze flash fares

    Airlines often have surplus seats. You can cash in on these deeply-discounted fares if you can be flexible. Most airlines allow you to freeze flash fares for a small fee for a few days or up to a week. This locks in the price and gives you time to think about it and make your plans. You can also stack flash fares, holding multiple bookings for a small fee each, until you solidify your plans.

    These strategies and mindset shifts are simple but effective ways for busy business professionals and worldwide travelers to save money on airline travel. Do the homework, know the best times to visit the places you want to see, then be open and flexible. And seek help when you need it.

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    Mike Koenigs

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  • Why You Should Apply Pressure on Yourself to Succeed

    Why You Should Apply Pressure on Yourself to Succeed

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When we think about feeling “pressured,” the immediate connotation is usually a negative one. Understandably so — if given a choice, many would opt not to feel pressure in any situation; it’s not an exceptionally comfortable emotion. Nonetheless, it can be helpful in all facets of life, especially regarding your career journey.

    Historian Thomas Carlyle famously said, “no pressure, no diamonds,” indicating that coal cannot achieve its true potential of becoming a diamond without it. Similarly, the correct dose of pressure will help you achieve your goals when you know how to wield it and handle it in a healthy way that doesn’t detract from your overall well-being.

    Related: 5 Habits Every CEO Should Avoid to Be a Truly Remarkable Leader

    1. Character over comfort

    To an extent, it is a choice. You can go through life prioritizing short-term comfort and avoiding situations that bring a high level of pressure. Still, it probably won’t be a very fulfilling experience. It’s natural to prefer easy and comfortable situations — it’s only human. Unfortunately, you’ll have to endure and welcome the more challenging experiences to spur character development and growth.

    Without the moments that push us, we stay stagnant, and forcing yourself to work through the discomfort does your future self an excellent service. Think back on an outstanding achievement — a widely-known, historical example or something personal that has happened in your own life. To the best of your knowledge, would that goal have been attained or that milestone reached without a level of discomfort and pressure?

    When I think about the moments in my life where I’ve felt most proud of myself or come to the most rewarding outcome, not one of them was able to happen without hard work leading up to it. I’ve never regretted putting myself in a position under pressure, and I will continue to do so whenever the opportunity arises.

    Related: 5 Ways to Become a Top Performer at Any Company

    2. Training the muscle

    As with so many things, working through pressure gets easier with practice. It’s like a muscle or a skill — you have to train it to strengthen it. No one is walking into the weight room for the first time and squatting with 400 pounds, nor would it be recommended. Without training, you’re only going to hurt yourself.

    There’s a reason Lionel Messi is consistently chosen to take penalty kicks; he’s taken so many before and has found a way to be comfortable and successful through what’s arguably the most pressure-inducing moment of the game. He’s been put in the situation before and risen to the challenge repeatedly in a way other players haven’t mastered yet.

    If you can find a way to embrace the moments when it feels like the pressure is closing in, it will get easier the more often it happens. Continually putting yourself in an uncomfortable position will only serve you in the long run, particularly because as you progress and grow, so will the frequency of those moments. It’s a cliché, but a true one: with great reward comes great responsibility, and as you achieve more or attain success, you’ll need that strengthened muscle to deal with times of heightened pressure.

    Related: A 4-Step Guide to Facing Failure and Getting Back Up

    3. Managing pressure

    If you are someone who experiences a high level of pressure regularly, chances are that you’re also consistently trying to do better in most facets of life — the two tend to go hand-in-hand. Even when you lean into the positive side of it, you’ll still need to find a way of managing that pressure.

    Different people have different strategies, but something I’ve found crucial is recognizing the adrenaline that comes with the feeling of pressure. On a physical level, the fear you might feel during those moments is not all that different from the feeling you get when you’re excited, like climbing the highest point of a rollercoaster. The trick is channeling that adrenaline towards the latter and using it to fuel excitement rather than fear. Think about what could go right rather than what could go wrong, or if that proves too difficult, let yourself think about what could go wrong and walk yourself through it anyway to feel more prepared.

    One strategy could be tapping into a friend with complementary strengths. I could be asked to jump out of a plane tomorrow and not think twice about it, but if you asked me to strap on an oxygen tank and go scuba diving, the “yes” isn’t going to come to me as quickly. Having a friend who might be terrified of heights but feels at home in the water would be the perfect match because we can push each other and relieve some of the pressure the other might be feeling.

    Inevitably, the best way to manage pressure is to become comfortable with the physical feelings it invokes, but these strategies can be of tremendous help before you get there.

    If you’re having trouble reaching a true feeling of comfort, viewing pressure through the lens of privilege can be incredibly helpful. Billie Jean King wrote an entire book on the subject where she said, “Pressure is a privilege—it only comes to those who earn it.” The privilege and opportunity of feeling the pressure to compete and perform is not one that everybody experiences. That fact alone can, at times, make it easier to handle. When advancing feels difficult, know that it’s supposed to feel that way, but it doesn’t have to stop you from using every tool in your arsenal. If you can take command of the situations that cause that good pressure rather than shy away from it, you will ultimately find success in a way that feels even more rewarding.

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    Ryan McGrath

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  • Why You’ll Never Be Happy If You’re Always Searching for More

    Why You’ll Never Be Happy If You’re Always Searching for More

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As someone who has focused on building businesses and wealth for the greater part of two decades, I’ve almost always been focused on more. More clients, more employees, more services, more investments, more franchises; I’ve always been focused on more.

    As entrepreneurs, we generally want more — and on the surface, there’s nothing wrong with that. Getting more clients allows you to hire more employees and provide more value to the world in general. More clients and employees, if done right, will create more money and more of an ability to provide for your family and invest in other opportunities. Those investment opportunities can provide other jobs, income, housing and money for everyone involved.

    At a glance, more is generally better. The pursuit of more isn’t immoral or wrong — but the pursuit of more can have other far-reaching effects, some of which can cause a negative impact on your life, or at least I’m finding that it’s causing negative impacts in mine.

    Related: 4 Things Science Says You Can Do to Be Happy

    Why don’t I feel like I’m enough?

    In a recent counseling session, I discovered that my pursuit of more was creating a feeling of “not enough” for both myself and my wife. I can only assume it’s also spilling into the feelings of my children as well as other people that I care deeply about.

    Coming from humble beginnings, I’ve always had a mindset of consistent excellence. If I’m not building, my legacy is slowly crumbling. So I’ve been focused on building businesses, our podcast, our mastermind, my investment portfolio and myself into more than I was yesterday.

    What I’m discovering is that my constant pursuit of more has created a restlessness for both myself and my family that’s not healthy — and I’m not practicing what I preach to those that I coach. To me, family should always be the most important thing in life and providing for your family should be the top priority. I believe I’ve done that well as a business owner and I believe that I’ve created a life for us that I wouldn’t have otherwise without a mindset of pursuit.

    What I’m also discovering is that what got me here won’t necessarily be what gets me where I want to be in the future. The pressure I’ve been putting myself under to perform and become better has leaked into other relationships. While that pressure of more has been great for my business partner and me to build Easier Accounting into an eight-figure business and create a successful podcast and mastermind group, it’s not facilitating the relationship I want or need with my wife. She feels my constant want for more and feels as though she’s not enough for me.

    Related: Want to Be Happy? Stop Doing These 10 Things.

    What am I doing about it?

    While I still want to pursue new endeavors, I’m putting a pause on them for the next three months. I’m taking the time to reevaluate what it looks like to believe that I have enough. I’m taking the time to be grateful for what I do have and the life I have built for myself, my employees and my family.

    I truly believe that it’s not a bad thing to want more, to focus on building and to create value for society. It’s a noble endeavor that takes sacrifice and its effects are far-reaching — bigger than we might ever know as business owners. But there comes a point when your pursuit of more becomes more than just a virtue or an action. When it becomes a part of your personality, it can create deep-seated feelings of inadequacy for yourself and for those around you.

    As you build in business, you generally level up your network, or at least I have as I’ve invested in masterminds and built my network and relationships with high-level business owners. Comparison crept in and what once felt like a lot, no longer felt like it was enough when I compared what I had built with what others had built or were building.

    Putting yourself around business owners that are doing more is highly beneficial when you’re looking to build your own business, especially when you’re starting out. You often hit glass ceilings and seeing what others are doing allows you to push past and break those glass ceilings. It’s the often-cited Roger Bannister effect. The brain sees that it’s possible when others demonstrate that it is.

    That demonstration is super powerful for many aspects of business, but when you allow it to creep in and comparison becomes rampant, it can become detrimental.

    It brings to mind a Kurt Vonnegut poem written in 2005 that recounts the story of him and another author at a party of billionaires on shelter island. Kurt asserts to Joe Heller, “How does it feel that the host made more yesterday than your book ever did?” Joe responds, “I’ve got something that he’ll never have.” Kurt questions, “What’s that?” Joe sums it up perfectly… “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.”

    I’m learning that what I have can be enough. I’m learning to be grateful for all the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am. I’m learning that taking the time to smell the roses now might even allow me to create bigger things in the future because I will be more present and aware of opportunities that come my way.

    Related: Yes, You Can Be Happy While Pushing Yourself to Success

    What I’m learning and what you can do if you don’t feel you’re enough

    The biggest takeaways I’m learning about myself through this process of self-exploration are two-fold…

    1. Money will never fill the hole inside you. Money can make life a lot better — and it’s not wrong to pursue money — but there was a time when I thought money might fix all my problems. I’m learning that money sometimes amplifies the problems that we think it will solve. Jocko Willink talks about creating the reflex of labeling any challenge as good, so I’m viewing the awareness of still not feeling like I’m enough as a good thing. If you’re not feeling like you’re enough despite seeing successes and creating forward progress in your life, the first thing you can do is view it as a good thing. You can view it as an opportunity to find out what it’s going to take to be enough for yourself and why you’re feeling this way. Take time to get to the root, it’s a good thing that you’re aware of it.
    2. Comparison is either your friend or your enemy, and it’s all about who you compare yourself to. If you find yourself comparing yourself to others, it’s a slippery slope that can end up with you never feeling like you’re enough. The grass is always greener on social media than it really is in real life. Compare yourself to the prior versions of yourself, look at how far you’ve come and be grateful for the opportunities to become better. Reflect on how you once wanted to be where you’re at today and be proud of the accomplishments you’ve made along the way.

    At the end of the day, I’m still learning how to be okay with what I have, even though I know I have built a life I should be proud of. Most importantly, I’m relearning to only compare myself to who I was in the past and focus on being grateful for the changes that I’ve made to become the person I am today — and hopefully, this insight helps you do the same.

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    Kale Goodman

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  • How to Achieve Superhuman Levels of Focus with Nutritional Psychology

    How to Achieve Superhuman Levels of Focus with Nutritional Psychology

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    Have you ever considered that your inability to focus is due to your nutrition, not your lack of will power?

    Download the free daily journal pages (limited time only). And grab a copy of Ben’s award-winning book, Unstoppable, which has been read by more than 70,000 people worldwide.

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    Ben Angel

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  • Why Creativity Is the Best Tool for Navigating Challenges

    Why Creativity Is the Best Tool for Navigating Challenges

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    With these “unprecedented times” comes some unprecedented emotions. In the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, the prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%, and many are feeling the crunch of increased costs of living, political unrest and non-stop news. We are all feeling so deeply at this moment in history, and it is undoubtedly affecting our mental health.

    What can we do, in times like these, to support ourselves and our communities? I believe the answer is art. Having an outlet isn’t the cure for what we’re experiencing, but it can be the medicine. Art can help us process our emotions and to share our inner experiences with others. It’s a way to move through it.

    But do you have to be a “creative person” to use art as an outlet? Absolutely not. Everyone is creative in their own way. Everyone is an artist in their own right. You may be called to music, painting, writing — all of these and more are valid expressions of our emotions. You also don’t have to create museum-worthy art for your art to help you in times of strife.

    The key is to acknowledge that we are having a human experience, and art is one of the most powerful ways to express that. But to boost our mood, manage our mental health and care for ourselves, we must first accept that we are, in fact, artists.

    Related: Why Your Creativity Is Your Most Valuable Skill

    We’re all artists

    There is truly no more creative time in our lives than childhood. It’s a free and precious time where creativity flows easily and in abundance, but it is fleeting. Many of us were told at a certain age that we had to “grow up” and take on more mature pursuits — like school, careers, parenthood, etc. Many are not told to continue to express themselves through creativity.

    It starts young, too. Laura Parrott Perry, author and public speaker, has asked kindergarten, third grade and middle school student classrooms the same question for years: “Everyone here who is an artist, raise your hand.” In kindergarten classrooms, almost every student raises their hand. In the third-grade classrooms, only about half will raise their hand. In middle school classrooms, usually only one or two children will raise their hand.

    As we grow up, we’re told — by loved ones and society — that art isn’t a mature outlet. There was a time when we all identified as artists and could express ourselves creatively, but that changed somewhere along the line. We came to think that some of us are artists and some are not, but the truth is we all are artists in our own ways. There is no prerequisite to being an artist, there’s no level of expertise needed or amount of practice.

    Study after study shows that art helps people get in touch with and express their feelings. What do we think happens when we lock down our creative urges and when we don’t allow ourselves to let out our emotions? We shut down, we self-medicate, we avoid. And our mental health deteriorates.

    Now, more than ever, I think we as adults are being called to remember our creativity and tap into it. Art is how we process, how we heal and how we prepare for what’s ahead.

    Related: 5 Ways to Unlock Your Entrepreneurial Creativity

    Using honest art to process emotions

    When I tell my students to “leave it on the canvas,” I mean that they can fully express what they’re feeling through their art. You don’t have to create pretty art or gallery-worthy art. You can create art that honestly reflects what you’re feeling in the moment.

    If you’ve been out of touch with your creativity for a while, this might feel foreign. You might find yourself trying to replicate artists you admire or simply trying hard to make something “perfect.” But that’s not the art that helps us during times of trouble. Be honest with yourself, and channel what you’re truly feeling into your art.

    Are you sad? Are you happy? Are you angry? Frustrated? Excited? The best way to approach art in a therapeutic way is to harness your emotions and feelings and use them as fuel for your creation.

    You don’t need to paint like Van Gogh or play music like Chopin. You don’t need to worry about what others might think of your creation or if it will make you money. Create things purely for yourself, not for the sake of making something for others. If we are to use our art to improve our mental health, it means we have to tell the truth — our truth.

    Your truth and your feelings need to not only be felt but be put somewhere. Instead of filing them away in your brain that might already feel oversaturated with information and tasks, put those feelings into your art. Creating gives us the ability to put feelings not only into perspective but into action.

    Related: 3 Ways to Unleash Your Creativity

    Art as a point of connection

    Art also does more than heal us individually — it helps us reflect our emotions and experiences to one another. Think about the last time you saw a truly moving piece of art or heard an emotional song. Did it take you back to a time and place where you felt those same feelings? Did it make you feel not so alone? That is the power of art.

    In a world that values progress above all else, we forget our emotions or shove them away to deal with what’s in front of us. We forget what makes us human until we experience something that reminds us. Seeing or creating art that reminds us of our humanity gives us permission to share feelings that may be uncomfortable or ostracizing. While it is your personal choice whether or not to share your art, the pure act of creation can help you feel less alone.

    And if you do decide to share that with others, it also gives you the opportunity to find people who are feeling the same, who needed to feel seen. Those connections can heal, and they may even save us in unexpected ways.

    The stigmas of mental health and art

    The creative path isn’t the easiest to walk down, especially if you’ve been out of touch with your own creativity for a while. We have been taught over and over again that what is socially acceptable is to swallow the feelings that weigh us down the most. This results in the stigma we see around mental health, as well as the discomfort we sense when we try to express the ways we’re struggling.

    Art is a way around all that. It’s a way to break those stigmas, express ourselves in a safe way and move our emotions through our bodies. You’ll also find that, by having a creative outlet, you have a tool that helps you address challenges as they come up. With every bit of horrible news I see, I remind myself to take it to the canvas, where I let those emotions move through me and into the paint.

    Will every piece of my art see the light of day? No. Does every piece help me heal a bit of myself? Absolutely. Art is a tool more than anything — a way to help us find ourselves and heal.

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    Jodie King

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  • 3 Ways Mindfulness Can Make You a Better Entrepreneur

    3 Ways Mindfulness Can Make You a Better Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As the owner of several digital marketing companies, I’ve found that mindfulness has played a crucial role in my success over the years. Not only has it helped me to stay focused and productive, but it has also allowed me to approach challenges and difficult situations with a clear and calm mind.

    Mindfulness helps us to stay focused and present in the moment. As entrepreneurs, we often have a lot of tasks and responsibilities vying for our attention, whether it’s two dozen tabs open in our browser or six consecutive Zoom meetings on a Tuesday afternoon. It can be easy to get overwhelmed and lose sight of what’s most important. Mindfulness allows us to quiet our racing thoughts and stay focused on the task at hand, which can greatly improve our productivity and effectiveness.

    I think all entrepreneurs can benefit from this important aspect of self-improvement, and in this article, I’ll outline some of the key benefits and importance of mindfulness for entrepreneurs like myself.

    Related: What Every Entrepreneur Can Gain From Mindfulness

    What is mindfulness?

    Mindfulness is a mental state of being fully present and aware of one’s thoughts, feelings and surroundings. It is the practice of bringing one’s attention to the present moment, without judging oneself or one’s experiences. Mindfulness is often associated with meditation and other forms of contemplative practice, but I try to go beyond meditation by incorporating it into daily activities such as eating, walking and even working.

    For me, the goal of mindfulness is to help me develop a greater sense of clarity, focus and peace of mind. But the benefits at work, I find, are the strongest. If I’m present and less distracted at work, I can do more in 3 or 4 hours than I often do all day when I’m in a less mindful and more restless state.

    Achieving mindfulness at work

    One specific way that mindfulness can improve focus and concentration is through the practice of mindfulness meditation. This involves sitting in a comfortable position with a straight back, closing my eyes and focusing on my breath. When my mind starts to wander, which it inevitably will, I simply acknowledge the thought and then return my focus to my breath. This practice trains my mind to be more present and focused on my work, which has amplified my productivity dramatically over my career.

    Sometimes, even just sitting in my office chair and counting 10 deep, mindful breaths is enough to put me in a more mindful state.

    Benefit 1: Improved concentration and productivity

    Mindfulness can improve focus by helping identify and let go of distracting thoughts and emotions. For example, if you are working on a project, and your mind keeps wandering to other tasks or worries, mindfulness can help you become aware of these distractions and let them go, allowing you to refocus on the task at hand

    For example, writing a 500-word piece of copy might take me an hour or two, depending on the subject matter. However, after a 10-minute meditation session, I’m able to concentrate for long enough to write the same amount of copy in 30 minutes. Ultimately, I save time, and I’m more productive.

    Related: Benefits of Mindfulness and Awareness Meditation

    Benefit 2: Reducing stress and anxiety

    High levels of stress and anxiety can have a negative impact on an entrepreneur’s physical and mental health, leading to health issues and decreased well-being.

    One way I reduce stress and anxiety is by prioritizing self-care. This can include taking regular breaks, engaging in physical activity, getting enough sleep, and, of course, practicing mindful relaxation techniques such as meditation or deep breathing. It is also important to create a work-life balance and set boundaries between work and personal time, which mindfulness meditation and distraction-free living can help you achieve.

    Benefit 3: Enhanced creativity and innovation

    Mindfulness is the practice of bringing one’s attention to the present moment, without judgment. This can help to increase focus and concentration, which are important for creativity and innovation. When we are mindful, we are more likely to notice things that we might otherwise overlook, and this can spark new ideas and creative solutions to problems.

    Additionally, mindfulness can help to reduce stress and increase feelings of well-being, which can make us more open to new ideas and more receptive to the creative process. For me, mindfulness creates the conditions that are conducive to creativity and innovation.

    Benefit 4: Improved relationships and business communication

    When leading a company, mindfulness can help improve business relationships and communication through greater focus, clarity and empathy. When we are mindful, we are better able to listen actively and fully engage with others, which can foster better understanding and collaboration.

    Mindfulness can also help reduce stress and improve overall mental and emotional well-being, which can enhance our ability to communicate effectively and build positive relationships with colleagues. A more mindful frame of being also helps us to be more self-aware and in control of our own thoughts and actions, which can prevent misunderstandings and conflicts from arising.

    This is what has made mindfulness such a valuable tool for improving my communication and building stronger, more positive business relationships in my entrepreneurial life.

    Related: 5 Ways to Boost Mindfulness Even on Busy Days

    Putting it all together

    Next time you’re at your work desk, try minimizing your web browser, relaxing your eyes and counting a few deep breaths. Notice the things around you. Acknowledge your thoughts as merely thoughts, and discard them if they aren’t useful for achieving your present goals. Take a walk outdoors, and observe your surroundings in the same way.

    This, for me, is the core component of mindfulness as an entrepreneur. And, if you’re anything like me, you’ll find that your business results will be greatly amplified as a result of the improved focus, communication and useful relaxation that mindfulness brings.

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    Amine Rahal

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  • Some Companies Really Mean Work From ‘Home’ and Not the Pool

    Some Companies Really Mean Work From ‘Home’ and Not the Pool

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    • Insider recently spoke to a 32-year-old nonprofit worker who went to Vegas while working remotely.
    • They didn’t tell their boss, and everything was going smoothly until an unexpected Zoom meeting.
    • “Many workers can work anywhere,” they said. “If you allow work-from-home, it should be flexible.”

    This article originally appeared on Business Insider.


    Matthias Tunger via Getty Images via Business Insider

    Remote worker in a casino

    This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a 32-year-old nonprofit worker. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their career, but Insider has verified their identity and employment. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

    When I started working entirely from home, I didn’t think I would find myself taking a Zoom call from a Vegas casino while trying to make my boss think I was in my home office.

    But in September, that’s exactly where I was.

    I work at a nonprofit, and I’m entirely remote

    Even still, there’s the expectation that I’m working from home and sitting at my computer the entire day. My boss is a big rule follower — I feel like she doesn’t even move from her desk between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day.

    Even when I work from coffee shops, I feel the need to explain it to her. I feel like she’s judging me every time my Zoom background is something different than what she knows to be my home office with all my plants behind me.

    We have this strict Zoom culture at my job

    You always want to make sure your icon is green to show that you’re available and actively working.

    The other day, I had a doctor’s appointment. I had to log in an hour late, and I let my whole team know. It’s strange, because at previous jobs, I could have just hopped online later. I wouldn’t have had to let anyone know.

    But this is more intense. It feels archaic in a sense. Why does it matter where I’m working from and what time I get online if I’m getting my work done?

    I have family in Las Vegas, so I often visit

    I figured I would just work from there and no one at work would be the wiser. On a day that I didn’t have meetings, I worked entirely from the pool. I didn’t tell anyone, because I don’t think it matters.

    I was working — why does it matter that I was doing it poolside in Vegas?

    When I did have Zoom meetings, I was careful about where I was working

    For us, the expectation is that we always have our camera on. That makes traveling a bit more tricky.

    Sometimes I would go to a Starbucks and just mention that I was working from a coffee shop. But other times, I would find a nondescript background and pretend I was at home.

    There were times when I was at the bar in the hotel lobby during Zoom calls, but no one could tell because the wall behind me was blank and white. I used my AirPods Pro, which are noise-canceling even when you’re speaking, which was a super useful feature for me.

    Everything was going well until my boss added an unexpected meeting to my calendar

    I was in my hotel room, and I knew I needed to find somewhere to Zoom from that was less obvious. I went down to the lobby to find a chair or couch that had an unassuming background, but everywhere that I had used before was taken.

    I was literally walking around the hotel and casino with my laptop, trying every chair in the lobby with my Photo Booth app open on my computer to see what my background would look like, but I couldn’t find anywhere.

    Finally, I walked through the casino and saw a bar in the corner with a couch up against a wall. I sat there and checked my background; everything looked fine.

    When I found a nondescript background, the next challenge was my audio

    Casinos are really loud with all the dinging of the slot machines and the conversations of the people drinking and playing. I was worried my boss would be able to hear it, so I quickly sent a chat to one of my coworkers and told her the truth — that I was in a Vegas casino and I was worried our boss would be able to tell.

    My coworker said she’d set up a quick Zoom for us to check what our boss would be able to hear. With my noise-canceling AirPods in, my coworker said she couldn’t hear the casino sounds.

    I was so thankful, but it was such a stressful situation. I was totally scrambling, but it worked out in the end.

    I wish I’d felt like I could be honest with my boss about where I was

    It would have saved me a lot of time that I spent frantically trying to find a couch in the hotel lobby with a white wall for a Zoom background.

    I don’t know why employers don’t understand that many workers can work from anywhere, and if you’re allowing work-from-home, it should be really flexible. I think that mindset — that you have to be sitting at a desk nine hours a day or you’re not actually working — is going to make certain generations obsolete one day.

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    Fortesa Latifi

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  • China stops issuing visas to Japanese and South Korean visitors as spat over test mandates for Chinese tourists widens

    China stops issuing visas to Japanese and South Korean visitors as spat over test mandates for Chinese tourists widens

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    China stopped issuing visas for visitors from Japan and South Korea on Tuesday in apparent retaliation for COVID-testing measures imposed on travelers from China, the Associated Press reported. 

    China had warned it would take action against countries that mandate testing for its citizens, who are now free to travel after the government lifted strict restrictions on movement last month, unleashing a wave of new cases.

    At least 10 countries in Europe, North America and Asia have imposed test requirements recently, with officials expressing concern about a lack of information about the Chinese outbreak and the potential for new virus variants to emerge.

    Japan and South Korea protested the visa stoppage, the AP reported separately on Wednesday.

    South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin said he finds it “significantly regrettable” that China stopped issuing short-term visas to South Koreans and called for China to align its pandemic steps with “scientific and objective facts.”

    Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno criticized China for “one-sidedly” restricting visa issuances to Japanese nationals “because of a reason that is not related to COVID-19 measures.”

    Tens of thousands of people have resumed travel in and out of China after the country lifted almost all of its border restrictions, ending three years of strict pandemic controls. Photo: Tyrone Siu/Reuters

    In the U.S., the seven-day average of new cases stood at 63,982 on Tuesday, according to a New York Times tracker. That’s down 4% from two weeks ago and below the recent peak of 70,508 on Christmas Eve.

    The daily average for hospitalizations was up 15% to 46,900. In an alarming statistic, the average for deaths stood at 580, up 50% from two weeks ago.

    Cases are currently rising in 22 states, as well as Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Northern Mariana Islands. In Maryland, cases are up 170% from two weeks ago.

    On a per capita basis, New Jersey and Rhode Island are showing the highest rates, with New Jersey recording 32 cases per 100,000 residents and Rhode Island 31.

    Cases are also high on a per capita basis in North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as Mississippi and Florida.

    Coronavirus Update: MarketWatch’s daily roundup has been curating and reporting all the latest developments every weekday since the coronavirus pandemic began

    Other COVID-19 news you should know about:

    • Cyprus has joined the list of countries mandating COVID testing for tourists from China, the AP reported. The health ministry said it was heeding the advice of the European Union’s executive arm in requiring passengers from China to submit results from a PCR test taken 48 hours before their departure. The ministry also recommended the use of protective face masks on all flights to and from Cyprus as well as in any areas where people gather in large numbers.

    • The Chinese air-travel regulator is preparing to allow airlines to fly more routes between China and the U.S. following the lifting of COVID travel restrictions, state TV reported Wednesday, as the AP reported. U.S. and Chinese airlines are among some 40 carriers that have submitted applications covering some 700 flights per week involving 34 countries, China Central Television reported on its website. It gave no timeline for when normal flights might resume.

    See also: Chinese COVID cases expected to peak at 3.7 million a day by Jan. 13, with daily deaths reaching 25,000: health-data company forecast

    • The Pentagon formally dropped its COVID-19 vaccination mandate Tuesday, but a new memo signed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also gives commanders some discretion in how or whether to deploy troops who are not vaccinated, the AP reported. Austin’s memo has been widely anticipated since Dec. 23, when a new law gave him 30 days to rescind the mandate. The Defense Department had already stopped all related personnel actions, such as discharging service members who refused the shot. “The Department will continue to promote and encourage COVID-19 vaccination for all service members,” Austin said in the memo. “Vaccination enhances operational readiness and protects the force.”

    Getting the flu can increase the risk of getting a second infection, such as strep throat. The Wall Street Journal’s Daniela Hernandez explains the science behind that, plus what it means for the rest of the winter and how we can protect ourselves from the tripledemic. Illustration: David Fang

    Here’s what the numbers say:

    The global tally of confirmed cases of COVID-19 topped 665.3 million on Wednesday, while the death toll rose above 6.7 million, according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University.

    The U.S. leads the world with 101.3 million cases and 1,097,660 fatalities.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s tracker shows that 229.3 million people living in the U.S., equal to 69.1% of the total population, are fully vaccinated, meaning they have had their primary shots.

    So far, just 48.2 million Americans, equal to 15.4% of the overall population, have had the updated COVID booster that targets both the original virus and the omicron variants.

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  • 6 Ways to Make Money from Home

    6 Ways to Make Money from Home

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Whether you’re looking for a little extra cash on the side or something to earn you income full-time, there are many ways to make money from home. Your best option will depend on your skills, interests, and resources.


    Shutterstock

    Here are some suggestions to get you started in your quest to make money from home.

    1. Work remote.

    Since remote work has become so common in recent years, consider asking your employer if they’re open to flexible remote work options. If not, looking for remote job openings on job search websites like ZipRecruiter can land you full and part-time roles at incredible companies from all over the world. This popular job board offers “hybrid” and “remote” filters that let you search for jobs that can be performed outside of an office.

    2. Sell products or services online.

    Make money at home by leveraging your skills or hobbies. Turn your passions into a business by setting up an online store or offering services through websites like Etsy, eBay, or Fiverr. You can also promote and sell your products through your own website or social media platforms.

    3. Become a freelancer.

    If you have a specific skill set, such as writing, design, or accounting, you can offer your services as a freelancer. Many websites, such as Upwork and Freelancer, connect freelancers with clients looking for their services. Many well-known employers post contract opportunities on ZipRecruiter as well.

    4. Rent a room on Airbnb.

    If you have an extra room in a residence you own, you can earn extra income by renting it on Airbnb. You’ll need to create a listing and set the price, and Airbnb will handle the rest, including booking and payment.

    5. Offer pet-sitting or dog-walking services.

    If you love animals, consider offering pet-sitting or dog-walking services in your local area. You can advertise your services through social media or local classified ads or use websites like Rover or Barkly to connect with potential clients.

    6. Sell items you no longer need.

    One of the easiest ways to make money from home is to sell things like clothes, electronics, or other items you no longer use. Consider selling them through websites like Poshmark, Depop, or eBay, hosting a garage sale or participating in a local flea market.

    There’s no better time to make money from home. Think about your interests, skills, and resources to see what the best option for you would be. Don’t be afraid to get creative and think outside the box.

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    Entrepreneur Deals

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  • China takes first steps to punish countries that imposed testing mandates for Chinese travelers

    China takes first steps to punish countries that imposed testing mandates for Chinese travelers

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    China on Tuesday suspended visas for South Koreans to enter the country for tourism or business in apparent retaliation for South Korea’s COVID-19 testing requirements for Chinese travelers, the Associated Press reported.

    No other details were given, although China has threatened to retaliate against countries that require travelers from China to show a negative result for a test taken within the previous 48 hours.

    That has not stopped about a dozen countries from following the U.S. in requiring Chinese travelers produce a test after China lifted most of its strict COVID-related restrictions for the first time since the start of the pandemic. The end of those restrictions has resulted in a surge of new cases.

    The World Health Organization and several nations have accused China of withholding data on its outbreak. The testing requirements are aimed at identifying potential virus variants carried by travelers.

    Separately on Tuesday, the head of the WHO for Europe said the surge of cases in China is not likely to have a big impact on Europe, although he cautioned against complacency.

    Hans Kluge told reporters it was “not unreasonable for countries to take precautionary measures to protect their populations” but called for such measures “to be rooted in science, to be proportionate and nondiscriminatory,” as AFP reported.

    Tens of thousands of people resumed travels in and out of China after the country lifted almost all of its border restrictions, ending three years of strict pandemic controls. Photo: Tyrone Siu/Reuters

    In the U.S., the seven-day average of new cases stood at 67,012 on Monday, according to a New York Times tracker. That’s up 2% from two weeks ago and below the recent peak of 70,508 on Christmas Eve.

    The daily average for hospitalizations was up 18% to 47,503. The average for deaths was 467, up 10% from two weeks ago. 

    Cases are currently rising in 21 states, along with Guam, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They are led by Florida, where cases are up 90% from two weeks ago. On a per-capita basis, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island are seeing the highest rates. New York has 37 cases per 100,000 people, New Jersey 35 and Rhode Island 31.

    Coronavirus Update: MarketWatch’s daily roundup has been curating and reporting all the latest developments every weekday since the coronavirus pandemic began

    Other COVID-19 news you should know about:

    • Thailand sent three cabinet ministers to welcome Chinese tourists with flowers and gifts as they arrived Monday at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport after China relaxed travel restrictions, the AP reported. The high-profile event reflected the importance Thailand places on wooing Chinese travelers to help restore its pandemic-battered tourism industry. Before COVID, Chinese visitors accounted for about one-third of all arrivals.

    • Moderna Inc.
    MRNA,
    +3.10%
    is considering pricing its COVID vaccine at $110 to $130 per dose, the Wall Street Journal reported. That’s the same price range as mooted by Pfizer Inc.
    PFE,
    -1.59%
    and German partner BioNTech SE
    BNTX,
    +3.30%
    once their vaccine moves to the commercial market. For now, vaccines are being purchased and distributed by the U.S. government.

    Getting the flu can increase the risk of getting a second infection, such as strep throat. The Wall Street Journal’s Daniela Hernandez explains the science behind that, plus what it means for the rest of the winter and how we can protect ourselves from the tripledemic. Illustration: David Fang

    • India has detected the presence of all the COVID omicron subvariants in the community after testing more than 300 samples since late December, the health ministry said in a statement, Reuters reported. “No mortality or rise in transmission were reported in the areas where these variants were detected,” the ministry said.

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  • Mega Millions jackpot surges to $1.1 billion: What time is tonight’s drawing?

    Mega Millions jackpot surges to $1.1 billion: What time is tonight’s drawing?

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    The Mega Millions jackpot keeps growing.

    There’s a $1.1 billion top prize at stake on Tuesday night, following the news that no one won Friday’s drawing. While that doesn’t come close to the record $2.04 billion U.S. Powerball jackpot someone claimed in November, it’s still a sizable sum that could pay off all those holiday bills (and then some). And it’s the rare lottery jackpot to pass the $1 billion mark.

    Here’s what you need to know if you’re going to play:

    How does Mega Millions work?

    It costs $2 per ticket to play. As the Mega Millions site explains, “Players may pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers — five different numbers from 1 to 70 (the white balls) and one number from 1 to 25 (the gold Mega Ball) — or select Easy Pick/Quick Pick. You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing.”

    There are prizes beyond the jackpot, of course. You can win as little as $2 for matching the gold Mega Ball number alone. Other prizes vary depending on how many numbers you match.

    Players also have the ability to increase their potential winnings by adding a $1 Megaplier option, but this doesn’t apply to the jackpot prize.

    When does the drawing take place?

    The next Mega Millions drawing will take place Tuesday at 11 p.m. Eastern.

    Where can you buy a ticket?

    Mega Millions is offered at lottery retailers in 45 states and is also available in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Some states also allow for online purchase of tickets.

    Up until what time can you buy a ticket?

    How late you can purchase your ticket varies depending on the jurisdiction. For some places, the cutoff time is 10:45 p.m. Eastern, but others have earlier cutoffs.

    What are the odds of winning the jackpot?

    You’re looking at some pretty tall odds — 1 in 302,575,350. But the chance of winning any prize ($2 and up) is much better — 1 in 24.

    What are the options for the jackpot payout?

    You can opt for a lump sum, which is less than the actual jackpot — in the case of the current $1.1 billion jackpot, the lump sum is $568.7 million. But you can also opt for annuity payments, which means you’ll receive an immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year.

    Can you watch the drawing live?

    Yes, it’s carried by many television stations across the country, according to the Lottery ‘n Go website. Recorded video of the drawing is also posted to the Mega Millions YouTube channel.

    If you win the jackpot, can you remain anonymous?

    The rules vary by jurisdiction. The Mega Millions site explains it this way: “Public disclosure laws vary from state to state. Some states require their lotteries to publicly identify winners, while others do not.”

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  • How to Make 2023 Your Best and Boldest Year Yet

    How to Make 2023 Your Best and Boldest Year Yet

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Want to be bolder in 2023? Start by clarifying your purpose. Before you take any action, spend some time reflecting on your values and what is most important to you. Visualize where you want to be in 12 months and the kind of life you want to live. Once these goals are clearer, work to create an action plan and write it down.

    Think bold and big, and get creative when it comes to planning out how to reach your goals. Consider new strategies, resources or people who can help propel you forward. Take some thoughtful risks, and set yourself up for success by making use of all the resources available to you.

    One of the best ways to create your best year yet is by being bold and daring. This means taking risks, speaking up and going after what you want. When you take a risk, it can be scary, but it could also lead to amazing opportunities. Being willing to step out of your comfort zone can open up many doors that would have otherwise remained closed.

    When you take a chance on a bold move, make sure you are aligning yourself with your purpose. Know your “why,” and stay focused on what matters most to you. If a particular opportunity or venture doesn’t align with your core values, it might be worth passing up, even if it could potentially lead to success. That success won’t mean much if it doesn’t align with your purpose.

    Related: 5 Ways Business Owners Can Slay Fear and Be Bold

    10 tips to help you have the best and boldest year yet

    By being bold and staying true to your purpose, you will be taking steps toward creating your best year yet. You’ll find yourself open to new experiences and possibilities that wouldn’t have been available without the courage to take a chance. Here are 10 tips to help you have the boldest and best year yet!

    1. Take a chance on something that makes you a little nervous, start small. Break out of your comfort zone.

    2. Speak up, share your ideas, and ask questions without fear of judgment or rejection.

    3. Reevaluate what you want to take into 2023 and what you want to leave behind in 2022. Make a list.

    4. Make a list of goals and the “why” for each. Get as specific as possible.

    5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. It’s okay to not have all the answers!

    6. Celebrate your successes, no matter how small they may seem.

    7. Take time for yourself, and practice self-care as often as possible.

    8. Trust your gut instincts: If something doesn’t feel right, ask yourself why. Are you letting fear talk you out of trying something new?

    9. Stay connected with people who support your growth and dreams, even when times get tough.

    10. Focus on what is important, and prioritize what matters the most in order to create the life you want for yourself in 2023!

    Your mindset is core to your success. A growth mindset connects to your goals and achievement in several ways. A positive mindset encourages you to be bold, helps you identify learning opportunities and encourages resilience when setbacks arise. With a focus on mindset, you will persevere even in the face of obstacles.

    Related: Being BOLD: The Framework for Nurturing Your Growth Mindset

    More strategies for your best year yet

    Here are some other strategies to help make 2023 your best year yet combined with the tips above:

    • Make time for meaningful conversations with people who understand and support your goals.

    • Celebrate small wins throughout the year, rather than just focusing on the end goal.

    • Take a break from technology to prevent burnout, being intentionally present.

    • Practice mindfulness or meditation to stay grounded, or read a book.

    • Invest in yourself by taking classes or investing in resources to help you reach your goals.

    • Make sure to have fun while reaching your goals — it should be enjoyable!

    • Set clear boundaries, and make sure you stick to them. Try to establish a new habit.

    • Create an environment that supports growth, such as having a supportive network of people who will challenge you and hold you accountable for staying on track.

    • Reflect regularly on what is working and what needs improvement, and be kind to yourself.

    • Keep a positive outlook, and remember that failure is part of the process. For every negative thought you have, think of four positive thoughts. Use the 1:4 ratio.

    Wishing you a successful 2023 filled with courage, boldness, growth and alignment with your purpose! Enjoy the journey, and make it your best year yet. Best of luck!

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    Leigh Burgess

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  • Get Jillian Michaels’ Award-Winning Fitness App for 55% Off

    Get Jillian Michaels’ Award-Winning Fitness App for 55% Off

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    No matter what you do for work, exercise is an important part of life. It helps you blow off steam and build focus. Of course, we’re all guilty of letting our health and wellness slide by the wayside from time to time. But this year, we’re saying Same You, New Wellness by offering significant discounts on products like Jillian Michaels: The Fitness App.


    StackCommerce

    This promotion only runs through 11:59 p.m. Pacific on 1/9/23, with no coupons necessary.

    Jillian Michaels, also a famous U.S. celebrity, is one of the world’s foremost fitness experts and life coaches. With this award-winning app, you’ve got her in your pocket, helping you along your wellness journey. The app has earned 4.5/5 stars and is a Best of Award Winner on the Google Play Store, plus 4.7/5 stars and a Best of Award and an App of the Day on the App Store. PCMag writes, “Jillian Michaels Fitness gives you a custom daily workout and meal plan to follow for slimming down and building muscle. It has options to suit different dietary restrictions. It’s an excellent app for those who want tough workouts.”

    The app gives you more than 800 workout exercises shot in HD video from basic to advanced, covering everything from HIIT to targeted routines. With access to her entire catalog, you can personalize the intensity of your workouts and even play your own music during an exercise. In addition, you’ll get an Advanced Meal Planner System to help you reach your goals.

    Take your health seriously this year! Through 1/9/23 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific, you can get a lifetime subscription to Jillian Michaels: The Fitness App for 55% off $449 at just $199 for new members only.

    Prices subject to change.

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