The Millennial Playbook

Proven Success Strategies for the Millennial Generation

__________

Raphael Enrique Collazo
The Millennial Playbook: Proven Success Strategies for the Millennial Generation

Copyright © 2017 by Raphael Enrique Collazo

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

ISBN 978-0-9993348-0-5

Printed in the USA by Create Space
Dedication

I'd like to dedicate this book to my loving and supportive family, friends and my beautiful girlfriend Melanie. Without your love and support throughout this entire process, I would never have completed this book. I'd also like to thank my coach Scott for holding me accountable at each stage of the book writing and editing process. Writing a book is not an easy task but\

with his encouragement and homework assignments I was able to complete each section of the book on time.

Finally, I'd like to thank all of my blog readers and book readers for their continued support of my work. You're the reason I write and will continue to write in the future.

All the best,

Raphael 
Contents

Preface

Introduction

Personal Development

The power of the compound effect

Establishing a morning routine

Developing positive habits

S.M.A.R.T goals

Professional Development

Looking for work

Setting up your LinkedIn page

Developing your LinkedIn networking strategy

Negotiating your salary

Developing yourself and giving back

Reducing stress

Increasing productivity

Leadership Development

Healthy Eating Habits

Weight loss

Meals for the day

Developing a successful, healthy eating strategy

Delving into your gut

Exercise

What are your fitness goals?

Designing your perfect workout routine

Recovery

Finances

Saving

Eliminating Debt

Student loans

Investments

Creating new income streams

Reducing Expenses

Real estate

Conclusion

Resources

Personal development

Professional development

Healthy eating habits

Exercise

Finances

References

# Preface

Millennials often get a bad rap. We've been defined as "lazy", "entitled" and "narcissistic" by more than a few pundits. Well, quite frankly, I'm tired of the nay-sayers and haters. Our generation will make a lasting positive impact on the world, and we're in a perfect position to capitalize on these opportunities. The wealth of information at our finger-tips has enabled us to become the most educated generation ever. Although this is the case, many of us are still nervous and confused about what lies ahead.

Around the time I moved from Washington D.C. to Puerto Rico, I began focusing on learning about self-improvement in various areas of my life. One of the definitive moments on my journey of self-improvement came after reading "I Will Teach You To Be Rich" by Ramit Sethi. This book showed me how to set up financial systems to improve my long-term financial outlook. After I discovered how powerful the information in one book could be, I began devouring books on finance, business, self-improvement and leadership. Each book contained bits and pieces of information that I would log away in my journal and share on my blog (thestrongprofessional.com). After about a year of this routine, I had read over 30 books from a variety of fields. The information in these books changed how I approached my day-day to day life for the better and I couldn't wait to share what I had learned with others.

However, after having talked with many of my peers, I realized that much of the information that I uncovered through my research was not common knowledge. Many of my friends and co-workers had no idea about the information I was sharing with them. I knew then that I had to find a way to create a comprehensive playbook of all the best lessons I had learned over the past few years. In this book, I've shared the accumulated strategies and techniques that fellow millennials can use to drastically improve their life. To explain these lessons, I use real world examples and document the struggles and triumphs I experienced as I attempted to implement each of these strategies into my own life. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it and I challenge you to use this book as a tool to craft a better life for yourself.

Raphael Collazo

# Introduction

Welcome to the beginning of an extraordinary journey. Throughout this book, you'll learn valuable lessons and strategies about how you can improve in various areas of your life. Although this book is packed with actionable information, it's important to take time to digest it all. If one section of the book doesn't seem relevant to you at this time, it's OK to skip over it for now and focus on other sections first.

As you progress through this book, try to implement these strategies into your daily life. Although some of the topics discussed in this book will take concerted effort on your part to accomplish, there are also many others that can be quick wins for you. Each new beneficial habit you incorporate into your daily routine will compound your positive results over time. I'll be providing "Action Items" at the end of each section to highlight some of the tasks that you can complete to build momentum.

This book will be your new playbook, a way for you to strategize and begin to craft a better life. Each section of the book focuses on one of the 5 principles that are the most important to living a balanced and fulfilling life. These principles are: Personal development, Professional development, Exercise, Healthy eating habits and Finances. As with any great story, your journey begins with a choice. Are you ready to take the first step towards improving your life for the better? If so, let's begin. 

# Personal Development

_"Formal education will make you a LIVING; self-education will make you a FORTUNE"_ – Jim Rohn

What is personal development? The Encyclopedia definition describes it as: "Activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitate employability, enhance the quality of lifeand contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations". Although this broad definition may have your head spinning, I promise you it's not rocket science. My journey with personal development began my senior year of college. After reading the book, "I Will Teach You To Be Rich" by Ramit Sathi, I realized how making small changes to the way I handled money could significantly impact my financial well-being. This belief in personal-improvement was reinforced by the book "The Compound Effect" by Darren Hardy. In the book, Darren describes how small positive daily actions performed over a long period of time can add up to BIG results. In this section, I'll show you how to design an effective morning routine, how to develop positive habits and set actionable goals that you can use to maximize your personal growth each and every day.

## The power of the compound effect

_"The accomplishment of any goal is the progressive accumulation, or compound effect, of small steps taken consistently over time"_ – Darren Hardy

This one remarkable concept revolutionized the way I viewed self-improvement. My belief in the past was that people who had achieved extreme levels of success had God-given talent and ability that I didn't have. The Michael Jordan's, Richard Branson's and Oprah's of the world were just people with other worldly abilities that we mere mortals didn't poses. However, after having studied these individuals and discovering how they achieved their extraordinary success, it became clear to me that talent had almost nothing to do with it. Sure, Michael Jordan was a very talented basketball player, but he would have never won 6 rings in 6 finals appearances if he had not put in the hard work each and every day to achieve his goal. Richard Branson would have never created a 7-billion-dollar empire without first putting in the hard work to get his first venture, a magazine called "Student", off the ground. Oprah Winfrey overcame extreme poverty, sexual abuse and discrimination to create one of the most successful TV shows of all time "The Oprah Winfrey Show". They achieved their unbelievable success by taking positive steps towards their goals each and every day. This eventually created momentum and before they knew it, they were on top of the world. Once I understood the concept of the compound effect, I discovered that it wasn't just one singular event or God-given ability that led to people's extreme success.

This concept is illustrated marvelously in the book "The Compound Effect" by Darren Hardy. The story begins with 3 friends (Jack, Joe and John) enjoying each other's company at a local restaurant. These 3 friends are the same age, height, weight, have the same eating habits and have almost identical backgrounds and skill sets. During their conversation, Jack proclaims that he's going reduce his caloric intake by 150 calories per day. In order to accomplish this, he decides to not buy a soda with his lunch each day and instead opts to drink filtered tap water. Joe proclaims that he's happy with where he's at in life and decides to not change anything about his routine. John proclaims that he wants to have a little more fun and decides to drink one extra alcoholic beverage each day after work. This corresponds to 150 extra calories per day.

After 3 months there's not much change among the 3 friends. Jack is frustrated because he's sacrificed drinking soda at lunch for the past 3 months but decides to stick with his new routine to see where it takes him. However, once month 18 rolls around things start to get interesting. At this point, Jack has lost just over 21.5 pounds! ((150 calories per day * 7 days per week * 4 weeks per month * 18 months)/ 3500 calories per pound)). As a result of his weight loss, Jack has more energy to dedicate to other tasks. He starts working out 3-4 times a week, his work performance improves and he has more energy at the end of the day to play with his kids and engage with his spouse. Joe remains the same as he was 18 months ago and continues the same routine. At the other end of the spectrum, John has gained just over 21.5 pounds and has begun feeling extra groggy and cranky throughout the day. As a result of his weight gain, his work performance begins to suffer, his stress begins to mount and he takes out his frustrations on his family at home. He also begins finding solace in eating junk food and watching an extra hour of TV at night.

Fast forward to 24 months and the changes we see are astounding. Jack has lost over 40 pounds and is in the best shape of his life. He just finished his first marathon and has a renewed sense of confidence. As a result of his increased performance and energy at work, he's just received a promotion which raised his salary by 20%. On top of that, his family life has never been better. His consistency of engaging with his loved ones has brought the family closer than ever. As an added bonus, not buying soda every day at lunch has saved Jack over $1300! ($2 per soda * 7 days per week * 4 weeks per month * 24 months) Jack's life has changed dramatically for the better and he's excited about the future. His friend Joe is in the same position as he was 24 months prior and is content with continuing his routine. At the other end of the spectrum, John has gained 40 pounds and his energy levels have reduced even further. He's been on thin ice at work because of his poor performance and is on the verge of losing his job. His bad habits of watching TV and eating junk food have further deteriorated and now it's all he does after work. His wife feels neglected and his kids are sad because their dad no longer takes an interest in their life. If John doesn't take drastic action soon, he may find himself in a crisis situation.

This scenario further illustrates the positive and negative power the compound effect can have in our lives. If you choose to use the compound effect to improve yourself, you could experience the unbelievable benefits it has to offer. However, if you choose to ignore it and decide not to take positive steps towards improving yourself, you may find yourself in a situation similar to John's. Now that you understand how to use the compound effect to your advantage, let's explore how you can craft a beneficial morning routine to accelerate your results over time.

## Establishing a morning routine

_"You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of success is found in your daily routine"_ – John C. Maxwell

The morning is the quietist and most serene part of the day. So why is it that so many people have stress-filled mornings and feel rushed getting ready? Most often this can be attributed to lack of proper planning. Many people wake up late, don't give themselves enough time to complete their morning tasks and then find themselves scrambling to get ready for the day. I've found that the morning hours are my most productive hours and that performing my morning routine gives me the boost I need to start my day off right. What can you do to develop a routine that will set you up for a successful day? Let's go through some of my favorite activities:

Waking up earlier

One of the most impactful things you can do to improve your mornings is waking up earlier. Most people don't give themselves enough time in the morning to prepare for the day, and as a result find themselves scrambling to get ready. In the book "Is Work Killing You?" by Dr. David Posen, Dr. Posen sites waking up late as one of the worst habits you can adopt. When you wake up late and rush through your morning you put your body into a state of alarm, spiking your adrenaline and cortisol levels as soon as you get out the bed1. If these hormones are present at high enough levels for an extended period of time, they increase the risk of an array of degenerative diseases such as heart disease, ulcers and type 2 diabetes. Not only does waking up earlier help reduce stress levels, it can also have a positive impact on achieving career goals. In a study conducted by Christoph Randler of the Heidlerg University of Education, Professor Randler found that participants whose performance peaked in the morning were better positioned for career success because they were perceived to be more proactive than others who are at their best in the evening2.

I'm not saying that you have to change your wake up time from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. right away. Many people who try to drastically change their wake-up time fall back into their old routine after a few days. A technique that I used to establish and stick to an earlier wake up time was setting my alarm clock back 15 minutes at a time. Once I maintained my new wake up time for 1 week, I would set my alarm back another 15 minutes. I repeated this cycle until I finally got down to my desired wake up time of 5:00 a.m. The combination of setting my alarm back 15 minutes and holding that wake up time for a week allowed me to smoothly transition to each new wake up time, and I've stuck to it ever since. Try it out for yourself and see what a difference it makes in your mornings.

Going to bed earlier

As a compliment to waking up earlier, you should make it a goal to be in bed earlier. Establishing this new habit will help increase your alertness and attentiveness as well as support your long-term health. The results of a 2013 Gallup poll suggest that the average American sleeps around 6.8 hours per night. That's down almost a full hour from 19423. Although we've become a more fast-paced society, we still need our sleep to perform at our best. Most physicians recommend that an average adult should get between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Since my wake up time is 5:00 a.m., the latest I should be in bed is 10:00 p.m. You can use this baseline to set up your optimal bed-time.

What if you're already getting 7-9 hours of sleep? First off, Congratulations! Although you may be getting 7-9 hours of sleep a night, not all night-time hours are created equal. In the book "Sleep Smarter" by Shawn Stevenson, Stevenson explains how the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. are our "money-time". These are the hours when our body experiences the most rejuvenating sleep. As soon as the sun begins to set, your body begins secreting melatonin (a sleep hormone). By the time 10:00 p.m. rolls around, your melatonin levels are high enough to promote your most rejuvenate sleep4. In order to ensure that I'm in bed asleep by 10:00 p.m., I've adopted the habit of getting into bed at least 30 minutes before my desired sleep time. Even though I may not fall asleep right when I get into bed, I've found that by establishing this routine I'm often asleep by 10:00 p.m. I now use this time to read a good book and write in my journal. Make the commitment today and experience how rejuvenated you feel in the morning.

Meditation

Now before you get skeptical about this routine, let me provide you with some insight. Meditation is a state of profound and deep peace that occurs when the mind is calm and silent10. This is a practice that has been utilized by many cultures around the world for millennia, and there's strong scientific evidence backing its health benefits. In a study conducted by the University of Wisconsin, scientists discovered that the practice of "Open Monitoring Meditation" reduced the grey-matter density in areas of the brain related to anxiety and stress11. The less grey matter density a person has in these areas of the brain, the less stress and anxiety they experience on a day to day basis. This reduction in stress levels can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

Along with the physical benefits associated with meditation, some of the mental benefits are quite intriguing. A study conducted by Katherine MacLean of the University of California found that subjects were more prone to stay focused on tasks during and after meditation training. This was especially true for tasks that were perceived to be repetitive and boring. As someone who has always had trouble focusing on one task for an extended period of time, the study struck a chord with me. Along with helping you sustain focus over time, other studies have shown that meditation can help increase cognitive performance.

One such study was conducted by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In the study, scientists found that students who performed 20 minutes of meditation per day were able to improve their performance on cognitive tests after just 4 days. On one particularly challenging computer test of sustained attention, students who practiced daily meditation performed 10 times better on the test than the control group13. These students also significantly outperformed the control group on timed information processing tasks that were designed to induce deadline stress13. In other words, the students who practiced daily meditation were able to perform better under pressure than the control group. As someone who works in a profession that requires you to work well under pressure, this scientific study reinforced my desire to try out meditation for myself.

In June 2016, I decided to incorporate a guided meditation session into my morning routine. I usually dedicate the first 5-10 minutes in the morning to meditate. Although many people perform meditation in silence, I prefer guided meditations. I've found that I have more effective meditation sessions when I have someone walking me through the process. I'm able to clear my mind of all thoughts by zoning in on the guides' voice and focusing on my breathing. I use the app "Omvana" and utilize their free guided meditation tracks each morning. Omvana is an app that provides users with free and paid guided meditation tracks to help support an effective meditation session. My favorite of the free guided meditation tracks is "Growing your light" by Gabrielle Bernstien. Try the app out for yourself and see what a difference it makes. I've provided the link to Omvana below. You can also search for the app on any apple or android device.

Omvana: <http://www.omvana.com/>

Having incorporated this practice into my morning routine and keeping with it for over a year, I can honestly say that it's helped me perform better in various areas of my life. I feel more focused at work, I'm able to better reason through difficult problems and I'm able to manage stress more effectively. Set aside 5-10 minutes in the morning to get started with your meditation session. Don't worry if it's difficult at first. The most important thing is that you give yourself time to be still and silent.

Reading

As the great Ernest Hemingway often said: "There is no friend as loyal as a book". Reading a great book can open up new worlds for you. The knowledge and insight gained from each book you read can positively impact your life forever. About 2 years ago, I decided to incorporate reading into my morning routine. As a result, I've been able to read more than 40 non-fiction books over that time span. Some of these books have helped me optimize my blog, establish healthy eating habits, develop an effective workout routine, improve as a software developer and gain a broader understanding of various subjects. I'm confident that if I had not made reading a morning priority, you wouldn't be reading this book today. The insights I gained from reading these books nudged me to try new things and grow as a person.

One of my favorite types of books to read is biographies. I especially like to read biographies about people who dramatically changed the world for the better. Reading books about these successful individuals can have a profound effect on the way you view and approach future problems. Jim Rohn, the famous motivational speaker, referenced that: "You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with". By reading biographies of successful people, you essentially get to spend time with them and absorb their views of the world. Over time you'll begin to adopt their success habits and will see your life improve as a result.

Studies have also shown that a daily reading practice can help improve your memory. Reading a good non-fiction book requires you to remember an array of different information. Each time you establish a memory, new neural pathways are created. These neural pathways can be used to recall the information at a moment's notice. A unique thing about establishing new neural pathways is that it helps strengthen existing pathways as well5. It's a win-win situation! Try establishing a habit of reading 5-10 pages of a good book each day. Over the course of a year, that would add up to between 10-20 two-hundred page books!

Journaling

I've just recently incorporated this habit into my daily routine. The therapeutic benefits of journaling have been well documented, and many of the most successful people of the modern era have admitted to keeping a journal. One of the many benefits of journaling is the effect it has on reducing your stress levels. In a study conducted at the University of Texas at Austin, psychologist and researcher James Pennebaker contends that regular journaling strengthens immune cells called T-lymphocytes and reduces stress hormones in the body. In other words, daily journaling about your emotions helps reduce stress levels and improve immune health6.

Journaling can also positively impact people looking to accomplish lofty goals. In a study conducted by Harvard University, Harvard MBA students were asked a simple question: Do you write down your goals? Of all the students, 3% said they wrote down their goals, 13% said they took mental note of their goals and 84% admitted to not having goals at all. After 10 years, the same groups of students were interviewed to see if goal setting had any impact on their success. The results of the study were astonishing. The 13% of students who took mental note of their goals but had not written them down were on average making DOUBLE the yearly income of the group of students who had no goals. The 3% of students who had consistently written down their goals were making, on average, 10 TIMES more than the other 97% combined23! The staggering difference in income between these 3 groups only reinforces the fact that writing down your goals, possibly in your journal, is an effective strategy that will culminate into future success.

Since January 2017, I've been utilizing the "5-minute journal" as part of my morning routine. This resource is packed with inspirational quotes, calls to action and elegantly poses questions that you can complete in less than 5 minutes each day. Since establishing this routine, I've seen substantial improvement in my performance at work and have made significant progress towards my goals for the year. I highly recommend this journal and have provided a link for it below:

<https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/the-five-minute-journal>

Exercise routine

Ah yes, the dreaded morning exercise routine. Although it may not be high on many people's priority list, an ever growing number of research studies promote that it should be. Research suggests that morning exercise improves sleep and aids in the weight loss process7. Getting enough sleep is one of the most impactful things you can do to lose unwanted weight. This is because sleep helps rejuvenate the body and regulate your hormones. If you're sleep deprived for too long, your hormones can get out of whack and this can lead to added weight gain.

Performing an early morning exercise routine also positively impacts your metabolism. After a great workout, you experience Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). Theterm refers to the rate at which your body burns calories naturally without performing any form of exercise. This means that your body naturally burns more calories as you sit at your desk, drive your car and/or perform other menial tasks throughout the day. One study even showed that participants who performed a rigorous workout routine burned an extra 190 calories in the 14 hours following their exercise routine8! Let's explore what kind of impact this slight change can have on someone's life.

Imagine two people with the same 2,000 calorie diet. The first participant is placed in a group that exercises in the morning 5 times a week, while the other is placed in a non-exercise group. When the first participant performs a morning exercise routine he/she burns 250 calories during that time period. If you add the 250 calories and the 190 calories experienced by EPOC, the participant would burn a total of 440 calories 5 times a week. Over the course of a year, this would translate to over 30 pounds of excess body weight! For many people who struggle with their weight, the effects this kind of weight loss would have on their self-confidence and overall health would be life changing.

Along with your increased metabolic rate comes increased attentiveness throughout the day. In an article titled "Be Smart, Exercise Your Heart: Exercise Effects on Brain and Cognition", Dr. Charles Hillman and company explore the effects exercise has on our cognition. They concluded that exercise is associated with increased activity in portions of the brain responsible for higher order thinking9. The article suggests that participants who performed "difficult aerobic" exercises experienced the most benefits from the activity. In other words, if you want to perform well in tasks that require you to think critically, consider doing a challenging morning workout to start off your day.

In June 2016 I decided to incorporate a 10-15 minute exercise regimen into my morning routine. This regimen consists of body-weight exercises that focus on my upper body, lower body and core muscles. In the "Personal development" resources section of the book, I've provided the workout regimen that I utilized from Nov 2016 – Jan 2017. Use this routine as a starting point as you incorporate your new exercise regimen into your morning.

Eating a healthy breakfast

An important part of starting your day off right is eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast. Your mother was right when she said that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, and now there's science to back up her claim. A study conducted by Kings College in London suggests that although people who skip breakfast eat fewer calories to begin their day, they have higher Body Mass Index's (BMI) than the participants who eat breakfast regularly. This increased BMI can be attributed to the fact that participants who skip breakfast feel hungrier throughout the day and tend to indulge more during lunch and dinner14.

What about those of you with a slower metabolism? Eating breakfast in the morning actually kick-starts your metabolism via a process referred to as diet induced thermogenesis (DIT). In this state, your body uses energy to digest and process the food you consume. When the food is higher in protein content, the burn rate can be as high as 15% of your daily energy expenditure71! Along with an increase in metabolic rate, people who eat breakfast are generally more energetic. New evidence published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that participants who were assigned to eat breakfast used more energy through physical activity than participants who were fasting15.

Although it's important to eat breakfast, not all breakfasts are created equal. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) analyzed a small group of obese females ages 18 –20. In the study, half the participants were given a high protein breakfast to eat (35 grams) while the other half was given a low protein breakfast (13 grams). At the end of the day, participants who had eaten a higher protein breakfast reported feeling fuller throughout the day and did not indulge in as many snacks as the other group of participants. Subsequent brains scans further indicated that participants who ate breakfast had less brain activity in areas of the brain that controlled appetite16. I know that it may be hard for you incorporate a high protein/high fiber breakfast in the morning but adopting this beneficial habit will truly be a game changer. For some of my favorite breakfast options, check out the "Healthy Eating" resources section of the book. Now that we've talked about some of the best ways to improve your morning, let's delve into how habits are formed.

## Developing positive habits

_"We are what we repeatedly do. Success is not an action but a habit."_ – Aristotle

The habit loop

As described in Charles Duhigg's best-selling book "The Power of Habit", the habit loop is a concept that plays a key role in developing and maintaining habits over time. The habit loop consists of three distinct phases. The first is a CUE that triggers our brain to use a particular habit. The next phase is a ROUTINE, which is the action we perform as a result of the CUE. This action can be mental, physical or emotional. The final phase is the REWARD, which helps our brain determine whether a particular loop is worth remembering in the future. As time passes and the habit loop is repeated (CUE – ROUTINE – REWARD), a person's response to the cue becomes automatic. Eventually a habit is born and the brain stops fully participating in the decision-making process.

Breaking bad habits

When looking to change a bad habit, it's important to understand how CUES impact ROUTINES. Your cues will never go away, so the most effective way to change a bad habit is to change the routine associated with that cue. In the book, Mr. Duhigg chronicles the success of Alcoholics Anonymous in getting alcoholics to quit drinking. He explains how their focus on developing new routines for recovering alcoholics is the defining factor of their sustained success. Many alcoholics drink because it offers an escape from emotional turmoil, it relaxes them, it blunts anxiety, etc. (REWARD). In terms of the habit loop, the emotions an alcoholic feels prior to drinking (anxiety, emotional turmoil, loneliness, etc.) are the CUES and the results of drinking (companionship, blunted anxiety, etc.) are the REWARDS. By replacing the ROUTINE of drinking with the ROUTINE of attending AA meetings and engaging with other alcoholics, AA was able to break the habit loop for millions of alcoholics around the world. The next time you decide you want to break one of your bad habits, be sure to focus on changing your ROUTINE. By doing so, you'll be well on your way to breaking your bad habit and implementing new beneficial ones.

Building good habits from scratch

If you want to adopt a new beneficial habit, you'll need to define each phase of your new habit loop. First, you need to determine what cue you'll use to trigger your desired routine. For example, when I wanted to incorporate writing into my morning routine, I defined my CUE as the alarm clock. Every morning when the alarm clock would go off, my ROUTINE was to immediately spring out of bed and begin writing. My REWARD was the 2-3 pages of solid content I got out of each writing session. Although your habit loop may be more complex than my example, take the necessary time to outline each phase. The time you spend defining your new habit loop will be well worth it.

Measure progress

The management guru Peter Drucker repeatedly said: "What gets measured, gets managed". Although this quote may have been intended for professionals managing multi-national corporations, the same concept can be applied to developing beneficial habits. In the book "The 4 Hour Body" by Tim Ferriss, Tim encourages his readers to incorporate a daily workout routine into their lives. As part of his plan, he challenges his readers to take a "Before" picture and hang it up somewhere where they can consistently see it. Hanging up a "Before" picture on the wall gives his readers a base line off which to measure their results. As his readers begin their new workout routines, Tim also encourages them to WRITE DOWN their workout plan and log their progress. After a few weeks of this routine, the participants begin to see results and are encouraged to continue improving. By measuring their progress over time, his readers were able to track the positive effects of their training. As a result, this powerful physiological method helped motivate them to continue with their difficult workout routines. On the other hand, if their results weren't to their liking, they have all the information they need to objectively look at the situation and tweak their process to improve future results.

Hold yourself accountable, find a buddy

As you continue with the process of developing new habits, you'll find that it's difficult to consistently hold yourself accountable. Now, before you go down in the dumps over it, know that it's completely normal for people to have issues with this. I consistently struggle holding myself accountable to perform the necessary actions required to achieve my goals. One of the best ways to ensure you get over the hump and solidify a new found habit is to find an accountability buddy.

In a study conducted by the Department of Kinesiology at Indiana University, researchers surveyed married couples who joined health clubs together. They found that couples who went to the gym separately had a 43% drop out rate, while couples who went together, regardless of whether they focused on the same type of exercise, had only a 6.3% drop out rate53! The substantial difference between these two groups goes to show how important having a buddy is to your success in this endeavor. This principle can be applied to all habits and should be utilized to increase your odds of success. Ask a friend, family member or a coach to be your accountability buddy. Just make sure that they have the stomach to call you out when you don't stick to your end of the bargain.

Stick with it

Now that you've defined your new beneficial habit loop and found your accountability buddy, it's time to commit to sticking with your new routine until it becomes a habit. In a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology by Dr.Phillippa Lally, Dr.Lally and her research team decided to figure out just how long it takes to form a habit. A total of 96 participants were examined over a 12 week period to determine whether or not they stuck with their new behavior and how automatic the behavior felt over time. New habits varied and included habits as simple as "drinking a bottle of water with lunch" to "running 15 minutes before dinner". After 12 weeks, the researchers analyzed the data to determine how long each person took to adopt their new behavior. They concluded that it took an average of 66 days for participants to have their new behavior become automatic100.

This means that over the course of a year you could adopt around 5 new beneficial habits! These new habits could include going to the gym 3-4 times a week, eating healthier, reading, journaling, saving an extra 10% of your income etc. Imagine where you'd be in a few years if you incorporated all these positive habits into your daily routine? Make the commitment to start working towards developing a new positive habit today. I bet you'll be shocked with the results.

Joining growth focused organizations

One of the best things you can do to grow as a person is to join a club/organization whose mission centers on developing its members. It's amazing the positive changes you can experience in your life when you surround yourself with other like-minded individuals focused on personal development. One of the organizations that I recently joined is Toastmasters. Toastmasters is a nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping members improve their communication, public speaking, and leadership skills. As a result of engaging in Toastmasters curriculum and receiving feedback from other members, I've become a much better public speaker. However, with so many different organizations and clubs out there it can be hard to choose which one to get involved with. For a list of some of these organizations, check out the "Personal development" resources section at the end of this book. Congratulations! You've developed positive habits that will serve you well for the rest of your life. Now that you've learned some of the most valuable lessons on the subject of personal development, let's go over how you can create actionable goals that will get you closer to achieving the life of your dreams.

## S.M.A.R.T goals

"A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline." – Harvey Mackay

Setting goals is an important part of achieving success in anything you do. Whether your goals are work related, personal or spiritual, structuring your goals effectively can drastically increase your probability of achieving them. As a frame of reference, I've provided my 2017 goals to show you how to structure your goals using the S.M.A.R.T goal-setting technique.

Raphael's 2017 Goals:

1) I will run the Punta Cana Marathon on April 2, 2017. To accomplish this goal, I will run at least 5 miles 3 times a week. One month before competition I will increase my running length to 10 miles at least twice a week and between 5-7 miles 2 times a week. I will run a half marathon March 12, 2017 in Puerto Rico to prepare for my full marathon.

2) I will perform at least one paid speaking engagement by August 15th 2017. I will accomplish this by attending every Toastmasters meeting to refine my craft and send at least 2 emails per week to organizations looking for speakers.

3) I will be consistently making an extra $1,000 per month on the side by September 15th, 2017. I will do this by sending out at least 5 job requests per week on Thumbtack, Fiverr and/or Upwork. I will also develop paid coursework that I'll offer to my clients.

4) I will build an email list of at least 5,000 people by December 15th, 2017. I will do this by committing at least $25 per week to use Google AdWords to drive traffic to my landing page. I will experiment with A/B testing so that I can increase my conversion rate to over 50%.

5) I will write my first book this year and have a Rough Draft by May 15th, 2017. I will accomplish this by writing at least 500 words per weekday for 5 months (50,000 words). Once I have my rough draft complete, I will revise the draft and have a final draft ready for publishing by July 15th, 2017.

6) I will speak at least 6 times this year and have at least two of those speeches be completely in Spanish by November 15th, 2017. I will accomplish this by attending every toastmaster's event and volunteering at every opportunity to speak in front of its members. I will also email SHPE, Engineers 4 Business, Entrepenurs@ASU and other organizations that I've been a part of to see if they need guest speakers.

S stands for Specific

When defining your goal, it's important to make it as specific as possible. What do you want to accomplish? Who's involved? Where's it located? Etc. By asking yourself these questions, you will start to craft a tangible goal that you can begin to strive towards. In my marathon example, I describe the fact that I will run the "Punta Cana Marathon on April 2, 2017". This level of specificity allows me to envision running that specific marathon and puts me on a path to achieve that goal.

M stands for Measurable

Metrics are the life blood of any goal you want to accomplish. If you don't have any kind of metrics tied to your goal, how do you know if you're on track to achieve it? By defining at least one metric you'll be better able to determine if you're on track to achieving your desired outcome.

In my example of writing a book I specified that I would write "500 words per weekday for 5 months". This metric allowed me to measure if I was in fact on track to hit those numbers. If by February 15th I'd only been able to write 5,000 words, I could have done the math to find out how many words I'd have to write daily to catch up to my baseline. This extremely powerful tool should not be ignored, and you should take some time to define some good metrics to adhere to.

A stands for Attainable

A great question to ask yourself is: Will I be able to achieve these goals in the time frame I've set for myself? I've met many enthusiastic/ambitious people who have huge dreams for themselves but struggle accomplishing their goals because their goals are not attainable in the time frame they've given themselves to achieve them.

For example, you're an aspiring restaurateur who writes a goal saying that you will open up 15 restaurants by the end of the year. Although I commend you on your ability to think big, this goal is probably not achievable in the time frame you've specified. A more attainable goal would be to open up your first location and achieve $x desired revenue for the year. Not only is this goal achievable, it also has a metric tied to it that will help you determine if you're on track to achieving your goal. The lesson here is to not be afraid to stretch your abilities and dream big but also have realistic expectations given a particular time frame.

R stands for Relevant

This section can be confusing to some people. When a goal is relevant it means that it applies to what your bigger purpose in life is. Do you want to be a high level manager in an organization? Are you trying to be the best significant other or friend you can be? Do you want to help others with your message? Make sure that your goal lines up with what you want to accomplish in your life. In my example of my "paid speaking engagement" goal, I hope to one day speak to people around the world and to spread my message of living a balanced life. Being hired for a paid speaking event will steer me towards realizing that dream.

T stands for Time-Bound

Like all great goals out there, it's important to have a deadline for achieving them. Without a set deadline, people naturally lose motivation and procrastinate on performing the actions necessary to achieve their goals. Every single one of my goals has a set date of completion. This makes it easier for me to use my metrics to see if I'm on track to achieving my goals by their deadline.

Another helpful tip when setting timelines for your goals is to stagger their due dates. As you accomplish each one of your goals, you'll gain more confidence and build momentum that will propel you towards achieving the next one. Don't be discouraged if you don't meet your goal by the deadline. It's important to sit down and analyze where you are and what needs to be done to get you back on track. When you come up with a solution, you'll then set a new target date and begin working towards it like before.

Congratulations on making it this far! The mere fact that you've thought about your goals puts you in the top 20% of the population! Now that you know how to structure S.M.A.R.T goals, spend some time writing out a few of your own. By writing out your goals, you'll join the top 3% of the population who write out their goals! Believe me when I say that the time spent outlining your goals will be time well spent.

*********UPDATE*********

1) I completed my first marathon on April 2, 2017 in Punta Cana. Leading up to the race I hurt my foot while finishing a 10 mile run. I was nervous the day of the race because I didn't know if my foot would hold up. Luckily I was able to complete the race in 5:03 hours and now can cross this goal off my bucket list. It's definitely a phenomenal experience and I encourage more people to try it out.

2) I completed this book's final draft on August 5th, 2017 and picked a final cover for the book on August 8th, 2017. I'm excited to be able to share the completed version with you.

3) I completed my public speaking goal on August 2nd, 2017. So far this year I've presented 7 times and have had 2 of those presentations be completely in Spanish. To view some of my presentations and other great video content, check out my YouTube channel:

<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7nC1jzYjuwdKOV4BZh3c7A>

Action Items

Establishing a morning routine

1) Incorporate at least 3 of the strategies discussed in this section into your morning ritual.

Developing positive habits

2) Commit to eliminating 1 bad habit from your routine over the next 3 months.

3) Commit to implementing 1 positive habit into your daily routine over the next 3 months.

4) Find an accountability buddy.

S.M.A.R.T Goals

5) Write out 3-5 yearly goals using the S.M.A.R.T goal setting technique.

  1. Commit to doing something positive each day to move you towards your goals.

# Professional Development

_"To develop professionally: Adopt a beginner's mindset, stay teachable, seek feedback, teach others and embrace teamwork_ " – Dan Mcabe

Now that we've gone over the concept of personal development, it's time to delve into the professional side of your life. Most of us will spend almost a 1/3 of our waking hours working over the course of our lifetime84! Since we're going to be dedicating that much time to work, we should focus on maximizing our efforts to make our experience at work as rewarding as possible. Regardless of whether you're a student, entrepreneur, salaried employee or a stay at home mom/dad, the rules for success are the same. In this section, we'll discuss how to find the right opportunity, adopt effective habits, develop as a leader and increase your productivity at work.

## Looking for work

_"If you find a job you love, you'll never work again..."_ – Winston Churchill

Consider taking a Strength Finders test

When I first started looking for opportunities after college, I was at a crossroads. I had studied Engineering but I also had an array of other interests. When it came time to narrow my search I felt confused and apprehensive. That's when one of my advisors recommended that I take the Strengths Finders and Myers Briggs personality test. These evaluations are great for determining what your possible strengths and personality traits are. When you're given the results of the Strengths Finder test you'll receive a breakdown of your strengths profile. Based on these results, you'll be assigned 5 "themes" that correspond to your strengths. These themes define your core values and how you approach your day to day life.

Along with taking the Strengths Finder test, I also took The Myers Briggs personality test, which evaluates your personality based on 4 factors. These factors are sensation, intuition, feeling and thinking. When you're given the results, you'll be assigned a personality profile that will explain each section of your personality type. For example, when I took the Myers Briggs, I ended up with a personality type of ENTJ. This personality type describes someone who is extraverted, intuitive, makes decisions based on logic/numbers, is organized and likes to make decisions early. Given this profile, I was shown potential jobs and industries that would suit my personality. Although I paid for each test, I was able to find some free resources online. Check out the links provided below:

FREE Myer's Briggs:   
<https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test>

FREE Strength Finders: <http://high5test.com/>

With the results of these two tests in hand, you can now begin to narrow your focus on careers that line up with your skills. Pick a few career paths on the list that speak to you and let's move on to the next section where we discuss how to develop your LinkedIn page to land your dream job.

## Setting up your LinkedIn page

With the ever-increasing presence of social media in our lives it's important not to ignore its significance as a recruiting tool for employers. One of the ways I was able to land 5 interviews in a 2-month span was by using LinkedIn to reach out to people in positions I was interested in. So, what makes a great LinkedIn page and what networking strategies can you utilize to achieve similar results? In this next section, I'll go over the process step by step:

The advent of social media has brought about sweeping change to the recruiting landscape. Gone are the days that a person has to attend career fairs and networking events to land their dream job. Now someone can be in their pj's in the comfort of their own home and have access to an almost limitless supply of professionals on a single platform. LinkedIn was started in 2003 and as of April 2017 has since acquired over 500 million registered users34. This staggering growth has brought about change in the recruiting industry as well. Recruiters now have access to more professionals than ever before. They can search the web for job candidates with a click of a button. With this new way of doing things, you, too, must adapt and learn to play the game. What makes a great LinkedIn page and what strategies can you employ to maximize your chances of gaining employment? Let's review a few steps:

Photo

An awesome LinkedIn page is made up of many parts. The first of these parts is to upload a picture to your LinkedIn profile. Your LinkedIn profile picture should be simple and professional. Although you may feel that displaying a picture of you and your friends partying in Cabo will make you look easy-going and fun, recruiters won't think so. I recommend dressing up in professional attire, standing against a plain wall and have your friend take a picture of you using your smartphone. The picture quality on most smartphones is more than sufficient to create a high-quality profile picture.

Headline

Having a memorable headline is a great way for you to stand out from the crowd. When recruiters search for users on LinkedIn, they use keywords that match with skills they're looking for. For example, if a recruiter is looking for a software developer, they may type "C++" in the search bar. When they execute the search, all the profiles with C++ referenced on them will be retrieved and displayed for the recruiter. In the search screen, only the candidate's profile photo, name, and "headline" are displayed.

Recruiters may have 100 profiles that meet their criteria, so a memorable headline is a great way to instantly differentiate yourself. An example of a good headline for a graduate may read "Aspiring engineer with C++ experience searching for opportunities in the aerospace industry". This headline utilizes keywords that recruiters look for and highlights what industry you're looking to break into. Get creative with your headline, add some of your personality to it and watch as you start receiving more traffic to your page.

Summary

After the recruiter has decided to click on your page, he/she will come across your summary section. The summary is an overview of what you want the person viewing your profile to walk away with. This is where you would highlight all your academic and professional experiences as well as issue your "Call to Action". A "Call to Action" is what you want from people who visit your page. Are you looking for a job/internship/research opportunity? Are you looking to join a club or organization? Do you want people to reach out to you with new ideas for businesses? By explaining what you want at the end of your summary, the person who views your profile will get a better sense of what you're looking for. If the relationship seems mutually beneficial, they may even reach out to you with an opportunity.

Professional experience

This is the section of the page where you get to show the world how awesome and talented you are. As on your resume, you'll need to list the professional and academic positions that you've held thus far. Don't skimp on listing certain positions because you feel that they don't offer value to employers. I speak from personal experience when I say that the skills I developed working at various restaurants during college have been invaluable to me in my career. Learning how to operate in a team environment, how to deal with conflict/difficult customers and providing excellent service are just a handful of skills that I've acquired. Employers love to see these traits in candidates so be sure to highlight them accordingly.

Once you have your experience listed on your page, begin to carefully craft your bullet points to highlight your accomplishments in each position. When looking for job candidates, recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds on each resume they review78! If this same logic is applied to LinkedIn pages, you may only have a few seconds to make a positive impression on a recruiter. Include attention grabbing words at the beginning of your bullet points to help keep the recruiter's attention longer. Also don't be afraid to use a thesaurus to look up synonyms and expand your vocabulary. Instead of using the phrase "worked in a team" consider using the phrase "collaborated with my peers". Instead of writing "started a study group" say "Established and led a study group focused on excelling in statistical analysis". Be creative with the phrasing of your bullet points, and remember that the longer the recruiter is on your page, the better your chances are of being remembered.

Honors and Awards

One of the final pieces of your LinkedIn puzzle is your honors and awards section. Honors and awards such as scholarships, grants and fellowships should be displayed prominently on your page. Not only do these awards distinguish you from other candidates, they show recruiters that others believe in you. Offering summer internships and hiring new graduates is risky business for employers. Young candidates who lack experience have limited history for employers to evaluate. As a result, many candidates don't work out for the company. Having scholarships and other awards shows the employer that you have a high probability of becoming an asset.

Organizations

Giving back is part of human nature and it can also be a great way to support causes you believe in. Finding a foundation or organization to support not only affords you the opportunity to give back, but it also expands your network. List your volunteer work and the foundations/organizations you're a part of in this section. Many companies support organizations and foundations that line up with their company values. Belonging to these organizations/foundations shows the recruiter that you have values that align with the company. These organizations will also help you when reaching out to professionals and asking them to speak with you. Who knew that helping others could feel good WHILE helping you advance your career?! Now that you've created a compelling LinkedIn page that any person would be proud of, it's time to review your LinkedIn "Networking Strategy".

## Developing your LinkedIn networking strategy

What is a "networking strategy"? It's your plan of attack when networking on LinkedIn. Utilizing an effective strategy can be the difference between just having a pretty LinkedIn page and landing your dream job. So what steps should you take to maximize the effectiveness of your strategy? Let's take a look:

Sync social media accounts

When first adding your LinkedIn page, LinkedIn will ask you if you would like to connect with your other social media accounts (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc). Although this may seem invasive to some of you, I highly recommend you do it. Have you ever heard about the concept of 6 degrees of separation? The term was introduced in 1929 by the Hungarian author Frigyes Karinthy. In one of his short stories, one of the characters challenges the others to find another person on earth that they could not connect themselves to in fewer than 5 intermediaries34. This idea has become ever more relevant with the increased presence of social media in our daily lives. As a result, you may only be a connection or two away from landing your dream job.

Your second degree connections are where the gold is mined. Imagine you have 200 friends on LinkedIn and they in turn have 200 unique connections of their own. You would be connected to 40,000 people by two degrees of separation or less. That's bigger than most university campuses in the United States. Tapping into this vast network will help you maximize your networking success. Be sure to add me on LinkedIn and get started expanding your network today (<https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelcollazo/>).

As part of your networking strategy, begin to join relevant groups on LinkedIn. These groups may include your University group, your University school group (e.g. Business school, engineering school) and other professional or social organizations you may be a part of. For young professionals, you may consider joining industry and company groups. Joining these groups will give you access to all the professionals who are members. People are more likely to respond to a LinkedIn inquiry if there is some degree of commonality, and a LinkedIn group is a great way of establishing it. Becoming active in a group by responding to posts and asking engaging questions is also a great way to establish rapport with group members.

Reaching out to industry professionals

Once you've joined a LinkedIn group, it's time to begin your search. Are you looking to secure a job with a particular company? Are you looking for a mentor? Once you identify what you want, begin searching your LinkedIn groups for professionals who meet your criteria. If you're looking for a new career opportunity, I recommend searching for someone in the position that you want to be in. Reaching out to recruiters directly may seem like a good strategy but often times they ignore you. They receive many of these solicitations every day, so employing this strategy won't be as fruitful.

People in the position that you want be in have quite a bit of knowledge of what the job entails and what it takes to succeed in that position. Also, establishing a relationship with them may lead to an employment opportunity down the line. HR departments periodically ask their employees if they have any candidate recommendations for positions they're trying to fill. The prevailing thought at most companies is that if an employee turns out to be good; their recommendations will lead the company to hiring more people just like them. I speak from personal experience when I say that I was able to secure 3 interviews with companies directly related to my conversations with professionals on LinkedIn. The way I went about it may be simple but the results are extremely powerful.

Networking strategy

After you identify a professional you'd like to connect with, send an invitation inviting them to connect. In the invitation you will write a short PERSONALIZED message asking them to speak with you about their experience. Below I've provided a sample message to get you started:

 The introduction and where you found them

The first sentence or so of your invitation should be your introduction. This is where you introduce yourself and tell them how you came across their profile. As I stated earlier in this section, mentioning where you came across their profile helps to establish rapport with the individual. Now, to them, you're not just some person who did a random search on LinkedIn to find people in a particular company. You share a common interest/organization with them and, therefore, they can relate to you.

ASK TO SPEAK WITH THEM

This section is SOOOO important I had to write the title in all caps. Asking to speak with your invitee over the phone is crucial because it helps put a voice to your profile. When people only email back and forth, there is no real personal connection established. People are willing to stick up for someone they have a personal connection to. This will be helpful if and when this connection vouches for you when a recruiter asks for recommendations. Be sure to make your message short and sweet. You only have 300 characters to work with so use them wisely.

Preparing for your talk

Once you've set up a time to speak to your new LinkedIn connection you need to begin doing some research about the company and his/her position. Similar to a job interview, your conversation will mainly consist of your connection talking about his/her experiences with the company in their role. Asking well thought-out questions not only allows you to gather as much information as possible about your connection but it also helps build better rapport. People are generally excited about what they do, so if you genuinely take an interest and ask great questions your connection will notice.

Your talk

Be polite, be yourself and have fun. Networking is a journey after all and it should be enjoyed. Once the talk is over, thank them for their time and ask them if you can reach out in the future with any questions you may have. Periodically send updates on your progress, and when you do accept a position with a company (even if it's not with their company), thank them for their insight and guidance. They will appreciate it.

Interviewing

"Be so good they can't ignore you" – Steve Martin

If you utilize an effective networking strategy, you'll begin receiving invitations to interview for job openings. First off, Congratulations! Job hunting is not easy, and I'm proud of your progress thus far. Now that you've received an opportunity to interview, it's time to begin your preparation. Whether it's a phone, one-one or panel interview, you can utilize this next technique to rock each one.

The S.T.A.R technique

Regardless of what type of position you interview for, this technique will be your blueprint for success. So what is the S.T.A.R technique? The S.T.A.R format is a job interview used by interviewers to gather all the relevant information about a specific capability that the job requires. S.T.A.R stands for Situation, Task/Target, Action and Result. Using these 4 sections, you can craft a compelling answer that will highlight your talents and make your potential employer swoon. Let's go through each section of the technique individually:

Situation

Every great story begins by setting the premise of the tale. Is the story set in medieval times? In the 1920's? What city was it set in? Is there any other prior information we need to know about? The situation section describes the environment (time, place, context, etc.) of the answer you're providing. This could be a restaurant you used to work at, an internship you had the previous summer, a prior job you had, etc. For example, one of my S.T.A.R situations centered on my time as manager of a local restaurant in Phoenix. I would explain the situation by detailing the setting before continuing with my answer. Explaining the situation well for potential employers helps give context to the scenario.

Task/Target

Now that you've set the stage, it's time to explain what you were tasked with doing. In this part of your answer you'll specify what was required, when it occurred and who was involved. Be sure to include metrics in your task to help your potential employer see the value of the task. An example of a well elaborated task would be when I described the purpose of my senior design project. As part of our project, our group was tasked with implementing a small parts bagging machine into a manufacturing production line. This implementation would eliminate 2 part-time workers, which would translate into a yearly savings of $60,000. By clearly stating my task and tying metrics to it, I was able to grab the attention of my interviewers and keep them on the edge of their seat.

Action

All great answers center on the Action taken by the individual to resolve the problem. This is the section where you get to show the interviewer how awesome you are. The action taken describes what you did, what skills you utilized and what behaviors/characteristics you exhibited to accomplish your goal. Be sure to highlight the characteristics that line up with the skills your potential employer is looking for. If your interviewer values someone who is detail oriented, focus on how you exhibited that characteristic in a past scenario. In the example of the bagging machine implementation, I described how I coordinated with the senior design group to organize weekly problem-solving meetings, how I compiled our time study data to create a solution proposal we presented to company management and how I worked with the team to navigate through the red tape of the organization. All these actions highlighted skills that were valued by the employer of the positions I was interviewing for.

Results

Employers are always searching for candidates who can consistently bring results to their organization. Your ability to convey how you're able to drive results will largely determine whether or not you're hired for the position. Providing clear and concise metrics on your results will help your interviewer get a better picture of what you bring to the table. An example that I often referenced in interview situations was my business venture "Pasticity". As a result of our hard work and determination to grow the company and develop a solid mission, we were accepted into the highly competitive business incubator called "SeedSpot" (only 15 out of over 100 were accepted). The program curriculum taught us how to develop our brand and effectively grow a start-up. Highlighting these events showed the interviewer what positive results he/she could expect from me in the future.

Now that we've covered how to structure your answer, let's walk through a scenario where a job candidate uses the S.T.A.R technique to effectively answer an interview question. Sally is interviewing for a position as a financial analyst at a multinational bank. The job requires her to be detail oriented, give clear and concise presentations and have a strong grasp of finance concepts. If her potential employer asked, "Tell me about a time you worked on team and what was the outcome?" She could tailor her answer by focusing on the 3 key candidate characteristic mentioned previously. An average answer to this question would be:

"An example of a time I worked on a team was during my senior design project. The subject of our senior design project was "Come up with an investment strategy that yields 12% per year over the next 3 years". For about 2 months we worked together to come up with the strategy. We finally did and we were able to meet the requirements of the project"

Although this answer does follow the S.T.A.R technique structure, it doesn't drive the point home that she was valuable team member on the project and doesn't highlight the skills the employer is looking for. A better answer to this question would be:

"As part of our senior design project, our group was tasked with coming up with an investment strategy that would yield 12 percent growth per year over the next 3 years. I took the responsibility of leading the group and assigned different research assignments to each of the project group members. Each week, I would follow up with each team member to support their progress. Once we compiled the necessary information about the various investment opportunities we'd researched, we began structuring our new investment strategy. Although there were obstacles along the way, we were able to utilize our critical thinking skills to work through them. When we finalized our investment portfolio, I verified that the math and the logic of the investment strategy were sound. In the end, we gave our presentation and received an A grade for the project. We also had the opportunity to utilize our portfolio to compete in a local finance competition."

As you can see by Sally's answer, she clearly described each section of the S.T.A.R technique and established herself as a valuable contributor to the team. This well thought out answer would bring Sally closer to achieving her ultimate goal of securing the position. For more examples of S.T.AR technique questions, check out the "Professional development" resource guide in the back of the book.

Phone interview

When employers find a candidate that meets their job criteria, they'll generally schedule a phone interview. If the candidate passes this initial interview, they'll be invited to the company for a more formal interview. Since this is generally your first interaction with a recruiter, it's important to make a good first impression. When preparing for a phone interview, it's important to research some basic information about the company. Questions like: "What do you know about the company?" and "What attracted you to this position?" are questions you should have a solid answer for. These are common questions asked in preliminary interviews, so it's important you practice them.

Begin by going to the website "Glassdoor" and searching for the company and position you're interviewing for. Glassdoor is a website where current and former employees anonymously review companies and their management. This site is great for gathering information about the company and their interview process. Past interviewees often post information related to the interview process and sometimes even provide actual interview questions they were asked. When looking at these responses, you'll often see that many people were asked the exact same questions. Be sure to also search for other behavioral questions to ensure that you're prepared for anything they may throw at you. I've provided a comprehensive list of behavioral interview questions in the "Professional development" resources section of this book.

Once you've compiled a list of interview questions, start coming up with answers to each question. As discussed previously, you'll utilize the S.T.A.R format when answering each question. Getting your thoughts on paper will help you better visualize your response and will give you the opportunity to revise your answers. Now that you have all your responses written out, practice your delivery in front of a mirror. As I prepared for each phone interview I would record myself. After each recording session, I would listen to the recording and make sure I was projecting my voice appropriately and that I was covering all the parts of the S.T.A.R technique effectively. I also made sure that I was controlling the speed at which I delivered my answer so that I was not speaking too fast or slow. When I practiced in front of the mirror, I made sure that I projected confidence and had strong posture. According to studies conducted by Professor Albert Mehrabian, body language is a more important factor in whether someone likes you than is spoken word or tone38. Although an interviewer cannot see you over the phone, it's important to make sure that your body language does not negatively affect your performance in the interview.

Now that you've practiced and feel comfortable with your responses, be sure to research some questions to ask the interviewer. This is extremely important as it shows that you're engaged and have some legitimate questions about the company. On interview day make sure to set up a station where you can conduct your phone interview. When I had my phone interviews, I made sure I sat at my desk and closed the door to ensure there were no interruptions. When the interviewer called I made sure to greet them and exchange a few pleasantries before beginning. As you go through the interview make sure to answer the questions clearly and concisely. At the end of the interview, **ASK THE INTERVIEWER QUESTIONS**. When I interviewed, I would ask 2-3 questions about the company and its culture. This not only helps you gain valuable information about the company, it also shows that you're interested in learning more about it. When the phone interview is complete, thank them for their time and jot down any correspondence that they give you. Hopefully you've done enough at this point to be invited to a formal in-person interview!

In-person interview

Unlike phone interviews, in-person interviews will require you to prepare a little differently. The initial interview question prep will be the same, but you'll need to practice delivering your responses in front of people to get comfortable with someone sitting across the table from you. As mentioned previously, you should start your search at "www.glassdoor.com". Gather as much information as you can about the company and write down possible interview questions.

Go to the "Professional development" resources section of this book to find and practice the list of behavioral interview questions. I walked through each question on the list during my interview preparation and found that I would often get asked very similar questions in interviews. Each time you structure an answer to a question utilize the S.T.A.R technique and rehearse the answers out loud. When you finally feel comfortable delivering your responses to each interview question, reach out to a friend/family member and ask if they would be willing to ask you questions from the list. Ask them to provide you with feedback on your answers and body language during the practice interview. I'm sure you'll be surprised with how much more difficult this is than rehearsing these questions by yourself. I remember the first practice session I had with my mom was horrible. During my practice session I sped through the delivery of each of my responses, I constantly said "um" and I didn't have strong posture. After receiving her feedback, I went back and focused on improving those areas of my interview delivery. After 3 or 4 iterations, I was able to deliver a smooth and polished response to each interview question she asked me. The more you practice and the more feedback you receive, the better you'll perform in the interview when it counts.

When the day of the interview finally arrives, show up dressed to impress and exude confidence. You're well prepared for the interview and you should be comfortable with how you'll perform. When you finish the interview be sure to ask the interviewer a few questions related to the role, thank them for their time and shake their hand firmly. Within 24 hours of being interviewed, send a personalized thank you email to your interviewer thanking them for their time and consideration for the position. In the email, highlight some of the skills that you feel make you a great fit for the position. Be sure to proofread your email to ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. For an example of a well written "Thank you" email, check out this helpful article.

(<https://www.thebalance.com/thank-you-email-after-job-interview-2063958>)

## Negotiating your salary

_"In business as in life, you don't get what you deserve you get what you negotiate"_ \- Chester L. Karrass

Congratulations! You rocked your interview and received an offer for a full time position. Now that you've secured your offer, it's time to negotiate your salary. Start by researching the position and finding out what the normal salary range is for your new role. Below I've listed 3 of the best resources to determine what the salary range is for comparable offers:

Glass Door:<https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/index.htm>

Pay Scale: <https://www.payscale.com/>

Salary Expert: <https://www.salaryexpert.com/>

Now that you've done your research on the position, it's time to negotiate your salary with your new employer. Often times, this discussion will take place in the hiring manager's office. Before beginning salary negotiations, thank the hiring manager for the opportunity and express your enthusiasm for starting in your role. This will help diffuse the situation and give you an extra positive boost when you begin your negotiation. The next step in the process is to give a salary range for the job you've been offered. For example, if you're offered $50,000 for a role and the average salary for the position is $45,000 - $65,000, express this to the hiring manager. This tactic is called "bracketing" and allows you to frame a higher expected salary number in the hiring manager's mind.

Now that you've given your range, suggest that based on your experience and prior performance, you feel that you should be compensated at the upper end of the range. This response will illicit one of two responses. In the first scenario, the hiring manager will agree with your request and offer you a higher salary. If this is the case, congratulations! You just increased your salary by $15,000 per year by just asking for it. In the second scenario, their response may include references to how bad the economy is and how they can't do much in the way of increasing your salary. When this is the case be sure to express that they should view your increase in salary as an investment in a candidate that can bring exceptional value to the organization.

If for some reason the hiring manager still can't budge, suggest other forms of compensation as a substitute for an increase in your base salary. Often times hiring managers are more flexible with bonuses, stocks/options and/or increases to vacation time. As a result, you may be able to work out a favorable offer using these incentives. Now that you and your hiring manager have come to an agreement on compensation, the final step is to discuss review cycles based on your performance.

Companies often have set review times during the year where top candidates are promoted and given raises to their salary. These reviews can be quarterly, twice a year or yearly. If the company offers a yearly review, ask if the hiring manager would consider offering the option of a ½ year review to evaluate performance and discuss promotions and/or raises. You should also ask what performance metrics you should hit before asking for a salary renegotiation. If you perform well in your new role, this will afford you the opportunity to receive a promotion and/or salary increase earlier than expected! Using creativity at the negotiation table can improve your compensation package substantially so be sure to prepare accordingly.

Believe that you deserve this compensation. You're a top performer and should be fairly compensated for your contributions to the company. Even though this is the case, only 29% of people negotiate their salary when they receive a job offer72. That means that 71% of job recipients are missing out on an enormous opportunity to increase their long-term financial well-being. Since many companies offer salary increases on a percentage basis, having a higher starting salary will drastically impact your future salaries. This staggering statistic is further compounded by the fact that women are less likely to negotiate their salary than men. In a survey conducted by the software recruiting company JobVite, over 2,000 people were asked whether they negotiated salaries. On average women reported negotiating their salary only 26% of the time72. This needs to change if we are to address the gender wage gap in the United States. I believe in your ability to excel in whatever endeavor you set your mind to. Try utilizing this information the next time you negotiate your salary. I'm confident you'll be glad you did.

Asking for a raise

As with your initial salary negotiation, asking for a raise requires preparation. Before asking for a raise you'll need to objectively look at your work situation. Have you been over delivering on your project requirements? Have you been showcasing your leadership ability? Write a list of 5-10 accomplishments that have added significant value to your organization. These will be your points of reference in your discussion with your employer. If you aren't able to come up with at least a few benefits you've contributed, you may not be ready to ask for a promotion or a raise. If this is the case for you, don't be discouraged. Ask your employer what steps you need to take to be considered for a raise and/or promotion in the future. Often times, they'll be happy to share this information with you. When you're given this feedback, write it down and begin working towards it immediately. Once you've achieved all the goals suggested by your employer, initiate the conversation again.

Now that you're ready to begin the raise discussion, you need to determine how much of a raise you'd like. Do you want a 5% raise? A 10% raise? Be sure to research what an average raise for your position looks like and determine how much you deserve based on your performance. You'll need to be prepared to justify this amount to your employer when you're at the negotiation table. When your review day arrives, show up to the office dressed to impress and focused on the task at hand.

At the beginning of the negotiation, express your gratitude for the opportunity to work alongside great people and contribute to a stellar organization. As stated previously, this will help diffuse the situation and give you an extra positive boost to begin your negotiation. In the negotiation, walk through each of your accomplishments and elaborate on the VALUE that was created as a result. Include numbers and metrics to make your case as strong as possible. An example of a good ask would be:

"Over the past 6 months, my team and I have successfully delivered on project x & y, increasing revenue by $100,000 as well as reducing customer service average wait time by 3 minutes. I plan to continue to set the bar high for myself and my team so that we can deliver more results like these to the organization. As a result, I feel that my compensation should be adjusted by x% to reflect my performance".

As you can see, you first highlight your ACCOMPLISHMENTS and then explain the VALUE you've created. By illustrating your successes in this way you'll paint a clear picture of your contributions, thus making it easier to make a determination on your salary increase.

In the negotiation, you'll have 3 different potential outcomes. In the first scenario, your boss will agree to the number you've provided and your salary will be increased. If this is the case, congratulations! You've earned your raise and should be proud. The next scenario will involve your boss agreeing that your results have been impressive but that the company cannot issue raises at the present time. In this case, suggest alternative forms of compensations such as increases to your year-end bonus, stock options and/or more vacation time. If these suggestions are also rejected, ask your boss if there is anything else that you need to do in order to be considered for a raise.

Finally, if your employer does not provide proper feedback as to what you need to improve on to be considered for a raise, you need to evaluate whether you're willing to continue in your role. Sometimes companies offer limited upward mobility and are not willing to compensate employees appropriately. This is an indication that it may be time to start looking for other opportunities. Once you've secured a position at a new company, put in your two weeks' notice with your employer. Remember that throughout this entire process, you should continue to perform at a high level for your current employer. The best way to make a transition as smooth as possible is to leave on a good note. For a great video on how to best ask for a raise, check out the link provided below:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n04Jn5ehAc>

## Developing yourself and giving back

_"If we're growing we're always going to be out of our comfort zone"_ – Jon C. Maxwell

You've finally secured your dream job. Although this is a cause for celebration it's only the beginning of your long journey of professional growth. It's time to get to work building your career and developing the skills necessary to excel. In the next section we'll go over some tips and strategies on how to increase your productivity, take on leadership roles and find inspiration in others.

Find a mentor

One of the things that I attribute much of my success to thus far is having great mentors to bounce ideas off of. Finding someone who is in a position or a place in life you want to be in helps steer you in that direction. In an article published by Dr.Underhill in the "Journal of Vocational Behavior", Dr. Underhill analyzed the behavior and success of individuals who had mentors and those who did not. He concluded that individuals who had a mentor experienced improvements in career attitudes, work attitudes and some career outcomes. Having a mentor was also tied to psychological outcomes such as positive self-image, emotional adjustment and psychological well-being54. Mentors can be game changers when it comes to your career success, but how do we approach and/or establish a relationship with them?

Talk to someone you admire at work

Some of the best mentors are the ones you work with on a daily basis. So what makes a good career mentor candidate? A mentor is a person usually (but not necessarily) older, who can advise you on matters relevant to your career and who offers support and direction as you progress in your field. Usually, this person is someone who is well respected in your organization and has a predisposition for wanting to help others. Although this person may be difficult to find, there are people in your organization that fit this description.

Once you target a potential mentor, begin preparing for your initial interaction with them. What are you looking to get out of the relationship? What skills would you like to improve? How often would you like to meet to discuss your progress? Be reasonable with some of your expectations. A mentor is unlikely to agree if they think that they will have to meet with you every week and act as a referee between you and your boss. Finally, reach out to your prospective mentor and set up a face to face meeting. This can be as simple as grabbing a coffee, stopping by his/her office or just a conversation after work. If they agree to meet with you, you should genuinely thank them and schedule a time. When you finally sit down with them, lay out your vision for how you envision the relationship progressing. Be sure to read his/her reaction. If they are enthusiastic about the idea be sure to establish a schedule for future meetings.

Hire a personal coach

Just over a year ago, I decided to hire a personal coach to help me achieve my yearly goals. Once every few weeks, I have a call with him to discuss my progress in various areas of my life. Many of these sessions involve us strategizing about how to best attack my over-arching goals for the year. As a result of our discussions, I've been able to write this book, run a marathon, give 3 speeches completely in Spanish and I'm on track to accomplish 2 other yearly financial goals I've set for myself. Coaching is a powerful tool you can use to achieve positive results in your life. The benefits of coaching are well documented and I'm a testament to that. A study conducted by Pricewaterhouse Coopers found that 70% of respondents saw improved work performance after working with a coach and 80% stated they had improved self-confidence56.

The accountability provided by a coaching relationship is also extremely beneficial. Dr. Gail Matthews of the Dominican University in California performed a study that found that people who wrote down their goals, shared this information with a friend and sent them weekly updates on their progress, were 33% more likely to accomplish their goals than participants who just formulated them57. I regularly talk about my goals with my coach and consistently send him updates on my progress. The accountability he's provided me has kept me on pace to achieve each of my yearly goals. Want to reach out to potential coaches? I found my coach via Thumbtack and have had great success with him thus far. Thumbtack is a business services platform where you can request services and receive bids from professionals looking to offer you their services. There are many reputable and effective coaches online that can help you reach your goals. Start a Thumbtack profile today and see what options are available to you.

Thumbtack: <https://www.thumbtack.com/>

Mentoring the next generation

Once you begin accomplishing great things in your life, it's important to give back and mentor others. I've been mentoring university students for the past 2 years and have found the experience extremely rewarding. The benefit you can have on your mentee's life is immense and you'll learn valuable lessons about leadership in the process. You can begin by offering advice to younger co-workers at your company. Providing insight on how to navigate the organization and perform well in a position will be greatly appreciated by younger co-workers. I wish that someone would've been willing to show me the ropes as a young developer and I know there are many young people out there that feel the same way. Another avenue to explore is offering mentorship through your high school or university. High schools and universities often have mentoring programs where students and mentors can be paired up. I connected with 2 of my mentee's through a mentorship program offered by an organization I was a part of in college. Reach out to your high school and/or university today and inquire about mentorship opportunities.

You don't have to only focus your search on your co-workers, high school and/or university students either. There are many organizations and community programs out there focused on developing the next generation. One of the most respected and well-established organizations is the Boys and Girls Club of America. This organization focuses on providing a safe and educationally rewarding afterschool environment where students can grow and become productive members of society. Often times, these children come from broken homes, so providing mentorship and support can be life changing. Make the commitment to find a mentoring opportunity today and make a positive impact on someone else's life.

Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone

A wise man once said, "Your comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there". In order for you to achieve your true potential, you must step out of your comfort zone and try new things. I can remember the first time I ventured onto the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship. My dad is a medical doctor and has always pushed me to get a graduate degree. After college, I was accepted into the "Thunderbird School of Global Management" and was slated to pursue a Masters in International Finance. However, after a bit of soul searching I decided to continue growing the pasta catering business that I started in college. When I told my dad that I was going to drop out of graduate school to pursue entrepreneurship, it caused friction between us for quite some time. I knew in my heart it was what I had to do, and in the end I learned some valuable lessons from the experience. That's not to say that the experience was an easy one. I constantly doubted myself and my ability to make the business work. My dad also didn't make matters any easier as he would constantly add fuel to my doubts by urging me to stop working on the business and go to back to school to pursue my Masters.

In the end, I discovered that food was not my passion and began looking for other opportunities. When I came across a job listing for an implementation consultant role at a mid-size government software firm, I jumped at the chance. Although I had never studied or worked with software before I was able to acquire a position with the firm. Throughout my first year I struggled to acclimate and on a few occasions was challenged by superiors to improve my work performance. Although I was in an uncomfortable position for most of that year, I now look back and value the experience I had. In both instances, had I not stepped out of my comfort zone and pushed myself to improve I would not be the person I am today. Has your employer offered you a unique opportunity in a space you've never worked in? Have you found a job in a new city where you have no friends and/or acquaintances? Jump into these opportunities and get out of your comfort zone. I'm sure you'll be surprised with the amazing things that can happen in your life as result of your decision.

Learning from failure

What do all these uber-successful people have in common - (Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, J.K Rowling)? They each experienced an array of failures and setbacks prior to achieving their ultimate success. Steve Jobs was ousted as CEO of Apple at the age of 30. Walt Disney was fired from his first newspaper cartoon job because his boss said "he lacked creativity". J.K Rowling was rejected by 12 different publishers before her first "Harry Potter" book was published85. Regardless of what profession you're in, there will be times where you're challenged and experience failure. Your ability to fight through these adversities will largely determine your long term success. Although I'm relatively early in my career, I experienced one such adversity a few months into my job with my current company. I had studied Industrial Engineering and Economics in college and had recently accepted a position as a software consultant for a mid-size software company that provides software services to government agencies. Coming from a non-software background I knew that it would be a challenge acclimating to my new role. For the first few months I felt completely lost, but I slowly started to get my bearings. After about 3 months on the job, I had my quarterly review with my project manager. In the review, my manager expressed concerns about my performance and gave me a few more months to prove that I could perform well in the role. He closed the meeting by telling me that "not everyone is meant to be a developer". I left the meeting in a haze. I didn't understand what had just happened and it took me a while to process the information. At first I felt confusion, then anger at whoever told him I was struggling, then humiliation.

It's never fun being told you're not good at something but it's important to use these comments as fuel to push you forward. After about 10 minutes at my desk thinking over what my project manager had said, I made a promise to myself that I was going to prove him and whoever else doubted me, wrong. This process didn't come without its struggles. For the first few months following my initial review, I constantly had doubts about my abilities and had negative thoughts about quitting to find other opportunities. These thoughts will creep in from time to time but it's important to not let them consume you.

As a result of my focus and determination, I was able to contribute to a successful software rollout in Washington DC and was afforded the opportunity to move to Puerto Rico to work on its massive tax project. I was able to overcome the initial adversity because I focused on the task at hand and strived to improve every day. Next time you experience a challenge or setback, sit down and look at the situation objectively. What could you improve upon? What could you have done differently? What actions will you take in response? Take some time to answer these questions and create a plan of attack to move forward. There will be days where negativity creeps in but it's important to stay positive and eliminate the negative self-talk. You have innate talents, and I strongly believe that you can use those talents to maximize your potential.

## Reducing stress

_"Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be."_ –Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

As high performing Millennials, we often find ourselves in jobs that can be very demanding and are regularly involved in other activities outside of work. With all these responsibilities and commitments competing for our attention, it's quite normal to feel stressed and overwhelmed at times. In this section we'll go over some stress reduction techniques and talk about some of the science behind each method.

Deep breathing

This is the technique I use most often to experience quick stress relief when the pressure is on. The act of deep breathing triggers the parasympathetic nervous system to come online and counter the brains natural fight or flight response95. In other words, when you breathe deeply, your body relaxes and is no longer on high alert looking for threats in your environment. As a result, you experience a reduction in heart-rate, blood pressure and stress levels. Next time you find yourself in a stressful situation, remember to take a few deep breathes and allow yourself to relax. This will help you look at the situation more objectively and with a clearer mind.

Exercise

Although you may find this line repetitive, exercise is a great way to achieve a healthier lifestyle and reduce stress. When you exercise, your body increases the production of its feel good neurotransmitters called endorphins. This hormone helps regulate your mood and gives you a happy disposition. Along with the benefits it has on your mood, regular exercise helps reduce the levels of your body's stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol96. These hormones if present in excess can wreak havoc on your long-term physical and mental health. Set aside some time each week to dedicate to exercising. This can be as little as 15-30 minutes 3-4 times per week. The benefits you'll see from this change will astound you.

Practicing gratitude

Do you remember the last time you were around someone who was happy and grateful? I'm sure he/she put a smile on your face. Not only is being grateful a pleasant characteristic for people to have, it can also help you deal with stressors in your life. In a study conducted by Dr. Randy and Lori Sansone of the Departments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine at Wright State University, a sample group of 389 adults were examined. In the experiment, half of the participants were told to perform a morning gratitude exercise. At the end of the study, participants were administered a survey which asked questions about general well-being. The survey results showed that participants who performed these gratitude exercises had a greater overall sense of well-being and reported reduced stress levels97. Try to incorporate a 5-minute gratitude exercise each morning and commit to becoming a grateful person. It may be just what you need to reduce your day to day stress.

Take time for yourself

When was the last time you took a vacation? Do you remember how refreshed and relaxed you felt after? If your life is hectic and your performance is suffering, it can be hard to imagine taking time off to relax. However, research suggests that taking a vacation may be just what you need to boost your performance. In a 2013 study conducted by Shawn Archor and Michelle Gielan of the Institute of Applied Positive Research, 414 travelers were administered a 34-item survey tailored to find out the connection between travel and happiness, and the effect travel has on stress and energy.

Results of the survey indicated that as many as 94% of participants reported having as much or more energy after coming back from a good trip! However, not all vacations are created equal. Participants who had stressful travel experiences, reported feeling more stressed when returning. One of the top reasons for this stress was lack of proper planning98. I recommend taking some time in the near future to plan out your next trip and make it as worry free as possible. I promise you, you won't regret your decision.

Get some sleep

I know that when you're stressed it can be hard to calm yourself down enough to get a restful night's sleep. However, getting some extras z's may be just what you need to reduce the extra stress in your life. A study performed by American Psychological Association examined how teens stress levels affected their sleep. It was shown that teens that slept more each night reported feeling less sluggish, more alert and were better able to focus on important tasks the next day99. Commit to getting between 7-9 hours of high quality, un-interrupted sleep every night. This will ensure that you're fully rested so that you can attack the day's challenges with renewed vigor.

## Increasing productivity

_"Productivity is never an accident. It's always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning and focused effort"_ – Paul Meyer

Reduce/Eliminate multi-tasking

This is the number one productivity killer for most people. The main reason why multi-tasking is so damaging is because it's so encouraged in our society. It seems like every job description now-a-days references "multi-tasker" as one of the most sought after character traits. However, the idea that humans can perform multiple tasks at the same time is not rooted in science. Our brains can only focus on one task at a time. If another task is introduced that requires our attention, our brains will shift attention to the new task. This act of shifting focus is called "task switching". According to an article published by the American Physiological Association, "even brief mental blocks created by shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of someone's productive time" 18. This means that you could be losing up to 16 hours of productive time per week! No one can afford to be losing that much productive time to multi-tasking.

In addition to productivity loss, people who consistently multi-task have been shown to have decreased cognitive performance. Researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry at the University of London studied 1100 workers at a British company and documented the effects of multitasking. It was shown that people who multitasked often had a greater IQ drop than people who smoked marijuana or missed a night of sleep19! Those are some pretty staggering revelations.

These points only reinforce the fact that focusing on one task until completion could give you a significant boost in your overall productivity. In the book "Deep Work" by Cal Newport, Dr. Newport describes the routine Carl Jung utilized to develop his revolutionary theories and become one of the most influential researchers of the modern era. Dr. Jung would often retreat to the mountains in his home country of Switzerland and isolate himself from the rest of the world. He would block off sections of the day to focus intently on one research topic and would fit in small breaks in between sessions to take strolls near his cabin. This routine allowed Dr. Jung to allocate the necessary brain power to tasks that helped him develop his revolutionary ideas.

Modelling off of Dr. Jung's routine, success coach Darren Hardy recommends incorporating 90 minute "jam sessions" into your day to focus intently on difficult tasks. During these sessions set a timer for 90 minutes, eliminate all other distractions and focus intently on one task at a time for the designated block of time. After each session, take a 10-15-minute break to let your mind wander. I've incorporated this technique into my daily routine at work and it's really impressive how well it works. Although the sessions may be difficult at first, the productivity increase you'll experience from these sessions is staggering.

Reduce exposure to social media

Social media is a technology that's only been around for the past decade or so. Although it's relatively new, the negative effect it's had on our overall productivity has been substantial. Social media is designed to be addictive and keep your attention for an extended period of time. One of the most destructive features associated with social media is push notifications. In a study conducted by Michigan State University, 300 university students were tested on their ability to persevere through interruptions while taking a computer test. The interruptions came in the form of pop-ups that required students to enter a code. Each interruption lasted between 2.8 seconds and 4 seconds. As compared to the control group, students who were exposed to the 2.8 second interruption made double the errors when they returned to the test while participants with the 4 second interruption made quadruple the errors19! If you have push notifications from different apps being sent to your phone, these kinds of negative effects can be compounded.

Another reason why social media is extremely damaging to your productivity is because it consumes quite a bit of your time. The average person in the US has 5 social media accounts and spends an average of one hour and forty minutes daily maintaining them20. Over the course of a week that amounts to more than eleven hours and forty minutes! Imagine what you could do if you spent that extra time doing something more productive and meaningful. You would have more time to spend with your friends/family, go to the gym, start a business, read a good book and/or prepare a healthy meal. Try to cut your daily social media time in half and see what a difference it makes. You'll immediately have five hours and fifty minutes of time per week to dedicate to other activities.

The ABCDE method

Prioritization is an important part of becoming an effective task manager. I'm a big fan of Brian Tracy and have listened to his teachings on productivity for the past few years. One of his most valuable lessons highlights how to prioritize tasks. In his book "Eat That Frog", Brain Tracy describes his ABCDE method of prioritization and explains each letter of the method in detail. Below I've provided a list of each section and the significance of each:

A-Tasks: These are your most important tasks. Often times, these tasks have serious consequences if you fail to complete them. Examples of these tasks could be a report that your boss needs for an executive meeting later in the day, a sales call with a client, interviewing a prospective employee, etc. If you have more than one A task, you prioritize them by writing A1, A2, A3 etc. on your priority list.

B-Tasks: These tasks are important tasks in your day that only have mild consequences if you don't get them done right away. Examples of this task could be reviewing your email, returning a non-urgent phone call, etc. You should never begin a B-Task if you have an A-Task still remaining on your list. As before, if you have multiple B-Tasks, you can prioritize them by writing B1, B2, B3, etc., on your priority list.

C-Tasks: These tasks are what are considered "Nice to do". They have no consequences tied to them but would be beneficial if they got done eventually. These tasks include phoning a friend, dropping off a package at the post office, etc. You should never begin a C-Task unless you've completed all you're A and B tasks first. As before, if you have multiple C-Tasks, you can prioritize them by writing C1, C2, C3, etc., on your priority list.

D-Tasks: These are the tasks in your day you can, and should, delegate to other people. You should delegate as many tasks as you can to free up time for you to perform your A tasks. When determining whether or not to delegate a task ask yourself these two questions: "Is this task an A or B Task?" If not, ask yourself: "Can someone else complete this task effectively?" If so, then you should delegate it.

E-Tasks: Finally, these are the tasks you should eliminate all together. These tasks may vary widely depending on your overall goal but examples of these tasks may include checking social media, excessive internet browsing etc. Your day is filled with unnecessary tasks that should be eliminated, and it's your job to make sure you identify them and scratch them off your list.

Now that you've categorized your list of tasks, begin on your most important one. The great William Matthews often said, "The first law of success is concentration," and his comments couldn't have been more on point. Having the discipline to concentrate on your most important task until its complete is a skill you'll benefit from for the rest of your career.

## Leadership Development

_"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others"_ – Jack Welch

How to take on leadership roles at work

As you develop your skills and relationships at work, you'll begin to contribute more and more to the organization. Throughout your progression, it's important to seek feedback from your employer about how you can best serve the organization. Start by reaching out to your boss and asking to speak about your career goals and aspirations. In the meeting, express your desire to take on a leadership role in the near future and ask how you can close the gap between where you are now and where you ought to be. Your boss should be thrilled to provide you with constructive feedback on what you need to improve upon to be considered for a promotion. The information he/she shares with you in this meeting is extremely valuable and you should find a way to implement the recommendations into your daily routine.

In the book "Winning" by Jack Welch (Legendary former CEO of GE), Jack shares some of his best advice about how to get ahead at work. His number one recommendation on how to get noticed by your employer is to always over deliver on assignments and to contribute more than was asked of you. At the end of the day, you're employed by your company to deliver value to the organization. If you consistently deliver more value than they pay you, you'll soon be identified as a valuable asset. If this positive trend continues, you'll be given the opportunity to take on a leadership role within your company. Now that you've been given the opportunity to lead a team, your journey of leadership development has begun.

The 5 levels of leadership

As discussed in the bestselling book "5 Levels of Leadership" by Jon C. Maxwell, your proficiency in managing others falls into one of the 5 levels of leadership. Below I've listed the various levels of leadership and have explained each one:

Position

When you operate at the level of "Position" people follow you because they have to. You may have the title of boss but you're not growing and molding your people. As a result, you get the least amount of effort and output from your team at this level. You can identify a level 1 organization because employees are often extremely disengaged and when 5 o'clock rolls around, they're out the door as fast as possible. You want to avoid this level at all costs and try to advance to the next level of leadership.

Permission

This is where the beginnings of a great leader take place. At the "Permission" level people begin to follow you because they want to. You're likable and you take an interest in getting to know your people. You develop report through these interactions and begin to understand your people's strengths. As you build these positive relationships, trust begins to grow, and you set yourself up for the next level of leadership.

Production

Have you ever heard the expression "getting things done"? This is the phrase that would define this level of leadership. At the level of "Production" it's about producing results for the organization. People not only follow you because you've built a positive relationship with them, you now have a track record of results. You've begun to understand your employees' strengths and weaknesses and have placed each respective person in a position to succeed. As a result, work gets done, profits go up, morale improves, turnover goes down and goals are achieved. As you produce, it becomes easier to tackle tough problems and face difficult issues. Eventually, leading and influencing others becomes fun because everyone is on the same page and the team continues to improve its effectiveness. This sets the stage for the next level of leadership where you develop the next generation of leaders.

People development

This level is Jon C. Maxwell's favorite section of the pyramid. At the "People Development" level it's all about developing and growing your people. You've shown that you and your team can produce results, now it's time to show that your team can produce other leaders in the organization. Identify people on your team with potential for leadership and help them grow into leaders themselves. The more great leaders you develop, the more you'll positively impact the lives of your team members. As a result, people will follow you because of what you did for them personally. Over time you will begin to build a reputation as a leader and graduate to the final level of leadership.

Pinnacle

Congratulations, you've reached the top of the pyramid! Although the level of "Pinnacle" is the highest level of leadership it's also the most difficult to attain. As a Level 5 Leader, you've done it so well for so long that your reputation as a leader precedes you. People follow you because of who you are and what you stand for. You've developed so many leaders who have developed other leaders that your impact can be felt around your organization. Although you've now reached the pinnacle of leadership, this is not the end of the road for you. You must consistently keep improving yourself and others to maintain your status at the top.

Although many people would love to operate at the pinnacle level of leadership, very few people actually achieve it. Why is that? Leadership development never stops. The core principle of reaching the top of the pyramid is serving others and focusing on bringing results to the organization over a long period of time. If you're willing to commit to the journey and are driven to improve others, you, too, could eventually reach the summit. Take some time this week to determine what level of the pyramid you're on. Once you determine where you are, strive to learn, improve others and seek feedback as often as you can. Utilizing these techniques, you'll eventually find yourself at the top enjoying the beautiful views.

Enjoy the ride

You've recently gotten a big promotion and a substantial raise to your salary. Life is good, right? What's next for you and your career? Although this may be a difficult question to answer, one thing is for certain. Throughout the rest of your career you'll need to keep learning and growing if you want to maximize your potential.

It's important not to get too caught up in all you need to do to get where you want to be in your career. Celebrate the little wins and enjoy the journey. You never know where your career may take you and often times it's somewhere where you least expected to be. Stay focused, keep learning and growing but most importantly, enjoy the ride.

Action Items

Finding work

1) Take the FREE strength finders and Myer's Briggs tests provided in this section.

2) Use the results of these tests to narrow down 2-3 industries you would be interested in pursuing.

3) Use the information in this section to create an All-star LinkedIn page.

4) Reach out to 5-7 people in the industry you're interested in via LinkedIn.

  1. Set up a 10-minute phone conversation with each person.

Interviewing

5) Practice behavioral questions (a comprehensive list is available in the "Professional development" resource section).

6) Practice giving your answer in-front of people.

7) Send a "Thank you" letter after you complete your interview (for a sample letter check out the "Professional development" resources section).

Developing yourself and others

8) Identify a potential mentor and reach out to him/her within the next 3 months.

9) Research a personal coach and schedule a consultation within the next 3 months.

10) Find a charitable organization you can donate your time to once per month (for a list of great organizations, check out the "Professional development" resources section).

Reducing Stress

11)  Implement at least 2 of the stress relieving techniques into your daily routine.

Increasing your productivity

12)  Reduce the time you spend on social media by 50%.

13)  Set aside 15 minutes at the start of your work day to create a checklist of your daily tasks. Organize the list using the ABCDE method described previously.

14) Set a timer and focus on your single most important task for 90 minutes without distraction.

Leadership Development

15)  Set up a meeting with your boss to discuss what you need to improve upon to be considered for a new leadership position.

16)  Determine what leadership level you're on and brainstorm ideas on what you need to do to move to the next level.

# Healthy Eating Habits

_"To eat is a necessity but to eat intelligently is an art"_ – Francois de La Rochefoucauld

In a world where you can't walk down the street without being bombarded with advertisements for unhealthy food options, learning how to incorporate healthy eating habits into our lifestyle is ever more crucial. So what should we be eating and how does what we eat affect our long-term health? In this section we'll explore the science behind healthy eating and I'll share insights from my experiences experimenting with different healthy eating strategies. Before I go into more detail I'd like to clarify that I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist. Although these changes may work for me, they may not be right for everyone. Before making any drastic changes to your diet, seek the advice of a medical doctor and/or nutritionist.

## Weight loss

Obesity is one of the biggest problems facing our generation, and it's a condition that affects 1 in 3 adults in the US24! Obesity, if left unchecked, can lead to an array of chronic diseases such as heart disease (the number 1 killer in the US), diabetes and high blood pressure. When evaluating the reasons for this increase in obesity over time, an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise are at the top of the list. Today, there are so many processed and refined foods available that are filled with harmful chemicals, refined/processed ingredients and sugars that damage our overall health. Becoming aware of what you put in your body will be the first step you take towards living a healthier lifestyle.

The science behind sugar and flour

I know what you must be thinking: "I love pasta, bread and other pastries and I really don't want to give them up." Well, according to Dr. Susan Pierce Thompson of "Bright Line Eating Solutions", it's an option that you may want to consider. Dr. Thompson argues that if you're extremely susceptible to food addiction, foods that are high in sugar and contain refined flour could be preventing you from losing weight. To take the FREE food susceptibility quiz, check out the following link! (<http://foodfreedomquiz.com/?_ga=2.169098017.1895011718.1498938742-1473397393.1498938742>). In the book she describes how sugars and refined flours block the receptors in your brain from processing leptin. This is the hormone that tells your brain that you've satisfied your hunger and spurs your body to get active to burn off excess energy stores. Without this hormone stimulating these receptors in your brain, you're left hungry and lethargic throughout the day80.

On top of that, foods that are high in sugar may even trigger your body's cells to accumulate fat. Dr. Richard Johnson, Chief of the Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension at the University of Colorado, describes fructose as the trigger for the "Fat Switch". In one of his most famous studies, Dr. Johnson analyzed animals as they began storing fat for the winter months. He discovered that animals would increase their intake of fructose rich foods in the months preceding winter. This high fructose diet would trigger fat storage in their body by activating a key enzyme called fructokinase. This enzyme would trigger various other enzymes to promote fat storage in cells63. Although this may have been an evolutionary advantage for us thousands of years ago, in today's ever more sedentary society, a diet high in sugar can cause some serious health issues. In order to maximize your weight loss results over time, consider reducing or completely eliminating foods that are high in sugar and refined flour. I'm sure that if you commit to doing this, you'll be extremely surprised with the results.

Are fats healthy?

This is one of the most contentious topics debated by nutritionists today. For many years, it was a commonly accepted idea that foods that were high in fat were bad for you and caused you to gain weight. TV ads and nutritionists around the world demonized fatty foods and encouraged people to eat low-fat alternatives. However, with the ever-increasing evidence supporting a healthy high fat diet as a way of achieving a healthy lifestyle, I decided to give it a try for myself.

In the book "Eat Fat Get Thin" by Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Hyman claims that over the past 50 years nutrition research has failed to provide accurate information to the public. He especially focuses his attention on the generally accepted mantra that low-fat diets are healthy and preferable to high-fat diets. To back up his claim, Dr. Hyman references a study conducted by Dr. David Ludwig of Harvard University. In the study, Dr. Ludwig tested how varying levels of fat in a diet affected participants over time. The first group was put on a diet that consisted of 60% carbs, 20% fats and 20% protein while the second group was put on a diet that consisted of 60% fat, 20% carbs and 20% protein. Each group was given the same amount of calories per day and refrained from engaging in exercise throughout the study. Over the course of the study the high-fat group showed the most significant improvements in cholesterol, including lower triglycerides and lower LDL. Not only that, the high-fat study group also burned an average of 300 more calories per day94! At this calorie burn rate, you could expect to lose 15 pounds of excess body weight in just over 6 months!

Along with these benefits, healthy fats may even help you control cravings throughout the day. Fats make foods taste better and help us feel satiated after a meal. When we remove healthy fats from our meals, we tend to seek out sugars and processed carbs to satisfy our hunger. Not only does increasing our intake of these foods not satisfy our hunger, these foods inhibit the leptin receptors in our brains which in turn keeps us hungry for longer80. Try incorporating foods such as avocados, nuts, seeds, salmon, olive oil and coconut oil into your diet. I've found that incorporating these foods into my diet has helped me achieve a leaner physique, helped me curb my hunger in-between meals and made my meals taste better. These high-fat foods may be just what you need to lose a few extra inches off your waistline.

Drink more water

For many of us sodas, fruit juices and sports drinks are our go-to beverages when we're looking to quench our thirst. Most of us know that sodas are bad for our health and are loaded with excess sugars and empty calories. However, you may not be aware that fruit juices and sports drinks may be just as bad if not WORSE for you than soda. When I was younger, I used to drink an array of different fruit juices. At the time, I thought that fruit juices were healthy because drinking them helped you attain your daily recommended fruit servings.

Although there are some vitamins in fruit juices and electrolytes in sports drinks that are utilized by your body, the negatives associated with these 2 options far out-weigh the good. An average cup (8 oz.) of apple juice and orange juice contain 26 and 24 grams of sugar respectively. An average cup of Gatorade contains 14 grams of sugar. These amounts may not seem like much but when you compare these beverages sugar content with that of Coca Cola, you come to a shocking discovery. Coca Cola actually has the SAME sugar content as a cup of apple juice and just slightly more than orange juice and Gatorade (26 grams) 102.

If this revelation has your head spinning, you're in for another surprise. Not only does 1 cup of both apple juice and orange juice have comparable sugar content to Coca Cola, they actually have MORE calories per fl. oz.! (Apple: 114 calories per cup, Orange: 111 calories per cup, Coca Cola: 93 calories per cup, Gatorade: 50 calories per cup) Now that you've learned the truth about these beverages, what alternatives can you turn to?

This is where the miracle drink of water comes in. By changing your drink of choice to water, you could experience clinically significant weight loss in a relatively short period of time. Let's suppose for a moment that you drink 2 soft drinks per day. This corresponds to roughly 300 extra calories per day. Keeping everything else constant, if you were to replace these 2 soft drinks with 2 glasses of water per day for 12 months, you could expect to lose 28.8 pounds! ((300 calories per day* 7 days in a week* 4 weeks per month * 12 months per year)/3500 calories per pound) What effect would this kind of weight loss have on your overall well-being?

Along with the weight loss benefits, water keeps your body operating at peak performance by helping regulate natural body functions and moisturizing your skin and hair103. Commit to making water your drink of choice and see what a difference it makes. This small change in your lifestyle can have a MASSIVE impact on your long-term health and vitality.

Get rid of the bad foods in your home

Now that we've gone over some of the science surrounding various food and drinks, it's time to throw out all the bad items that don't meet our standards. In the book "Bright Line Eating" by Susan Pierce Thompson, Susan explains how she was able to overcome her struggle with food addiction and adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle. One of the first things she recommends doing when starting a new healthy eating plan is getting rid of all the unhealthy food and drinks in your house. Open your pantry or wherever you store your food/drinks and read the labels. Is the item high in sugar? Has it been processed excessively? Are your meats filled with antibiotics? For a list of questions to determine whether or not you should keep a particular food or drink, check out the "Is it Healthy?" questionnaire in the "Healthy eating habits" resources section in the back of the book. If the item doesn't meet the checklist standard, it's time to throw it in the trash. I know this may seem like you're throwing away perfectly good food and drinks, but trust me; they're poison to your new lifestyle and should be treated as such.

## Meals for the day

Now that you've cleared out all the bad food from your pantry, it's time to start filling it with healthy and vitamin-rich foods. Free range meats, leafy greens, freshly caught fish, fresh fruits and vegetables are great options to incorporate into your diet. If you're a vegetarian and/or vegan, load up on more greens and add beans and nuts to your diet as a protein source.

Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should be a priority for anyone trying to shed a few extra pounds. Having a healthy, nutritious breakfast in the morning can help kick-start your metabolism and keep you fuller for longer. Although there are many benefits to eating breakfast, not all breakfasts are created equal. What breakfast foods should you incorporate into your morning to help you reach your fitness goals? Let's find out:

One of the best indicators of a healthy breakfast is the amount of fiber included in the meal. High fiber meals not only help regulate the gastric process, they also help curb your appetite throughout the day. In a recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition, participants were put on a high fiber diet for 2 years. Scientist found that participants who had an intake of 8 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed lost 4.5 pounds over the span of the study!25 Some great high fiber foods include fruits such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and pears. Oatmeal and bran flakes are also great sources of fiber. Other sources include avocados, broccoli, artichokes and an array of beans such as lentils, chickpeas, split peas, black beans and lima beans. Next time you're contemplating what to eat for breakfast, make sure to include one of these options in your meal.

My next recommendation may come as a surprise to you but it's one of the most effective components of a balanced breakfast. A breakfast that's high in protein will help you feel fuller longer and help you burn more calories. A study conducted by Tel Aviv University discovered that eating protein in the morning, especially protein found in dairy, helped control blood sugar and increase metabolic rate more than a breakfast high in carbs. In the study, participants who ate a high protein breakfast from dairy sources and a high protein breakfast with proteins such as eggs, tuna and soy, lost 16.8 lbs. and 13.5 lbs. respectively over the course of 12 weeks45! Consider incorporating some high protein foods into your breakfast and maybe you'll even experience similar results. For breakfast suggestions and recipes, check out the resources section of the book under "Healthy eating habits".

Lunch

Now that you've made it through the morning unscathed, it's time to sit down and have some lunch. Although lunch may not be as important a meal as breakfast, it's still a significant part of overall health and weight loss goals. Foods that are high in protein, fiber, healthy fats and are low in sugars are the best options for chowing down at lunch.

One of my favorite foods to eat for lunch is chicken breast drizzled with olive oil. Chicken breast is high in protein and helps satisfy my hunger while keeping me fuller for a longer period of time. It also contains vitamins such as niacin and vitamin B6, which help support red blood cell health28. The olive oil I incorporate into the meal also contains healthy monounsaturated fats. In a study published in the scientific journal "Diabetes Care", researchers explored how a Mediterranean-style diet rich in healthy fats such as olive oil affected study participants over time. It was shown that participants who ate this Mediterranean-style diet reduced their risk of type II diabetes by almost 50 percent when compared to participants in the low-fat control group.86

As with any good meal, it's important to keep excess sugars out. Meals that are high in sugars can cause your insulin levels to spike and will leave you feeling groggy and unsatisfied after a short period of time. It's recommended that you eat a lunch that has fewer than 10 grams of sugar. If you'd like to incorporate fruits such as cranberries, grapes and/or vegetables such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin and squash be sure to keep the sugar content less than 20 grams. Beware of hidden sugars in breads (especially white bread) and other packaged ingredients. If at all possible, eliminate these packaged and refined foods from your diet.

In order to increase food volume and reduce overall caloric intake, be sure to incorporate lots of leafy greens and other cruciferous vegetables into your meal. For example, a cup of raw broccoli only contains about 31 calories! Not only will the broccoli help satisfy your hunger, you'll also be getting a significant number of vitamins and minerals from it.

Dinner

Now that you've made it to the end of the day, it's time to sit down and have a healthy and nutritious dinner. If your objective is to lose weight, having a smaller meal for dinner may be the most effective route to take87. Although your dinner may be the least calorie dense meal of the day, it doesn't mean it has to be small. Incorporating lots of leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables into your meal will ensure that you feel full afterwards. One of my favorite things to do is to eat a small salad before my entrée. A study conducted at Penn State University showed that participants who incorporated a salad into their meals before the main course reduced their calorie intake by 12%29. This probably has something to do with the fact that salad is high in fiber and helps curb your appetite.

Once you've eaten your salad it's time to prepare the entrée. Your entrée should consist of a healthy source of protein, vegetables and you may even consider incorporating fruit for desert. One of my favorite protein options is salmon. Not only does salmon taste great but it also has a long list of health benefits. One such benefit is the effect it has on your heart health. A study conducted by the Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety showed that consuming salmon can help protect against heart disease by increasing levels of omega-3 fats, decreasing levels of omega-6 fats and lowering triglycerides30. Along with being beneficial for your heart, the vitamins and minerals in salmon help promote weight loss. A study conducted by the Department of Endocrinology in Shanghai Xin Hua Hospital concluded that supplementing fish oil with life modification practices helped reduce body fat and waist circumference30. For those of you who are vegetarians, don't fret. There are many healthy protein options out there. Beans such as lentils, lima beans and black beans are awesome sources of protein. Tofu and other soy-based products are also great options. Once you have your protein source picked out its time to move on to the veggies.

Vegetables should make up the majority of your dinner plate. Not only do they provide essential vitamins and minerals that help your body function at its peak performance, you can also indulge in them without remorse. One of the best things about leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables is that they're not calorie dense. As stated previously, a cup of broccoli contains 31 calories and a cup of spinach contains 7 calories! Now that's a lot of vegetables!

Snacking

Since meals tend to be many hours apart, you'll inevitably get hungry in between meals. As a result, you'll probably find yourself looking for a mid-morning and/or mid-afternoon snack from time-to-time. Although snacking can be a satisfying experience, it's important to snack intelligently in order to ensure that you don't eat junk. Some of my favorite snacks are almonds, berries and granola. Almonds are a protein rich food packed with healthy fats and vitamins such as vitamin E, magnesium, fiber and riboflavin. As discussed previously, the fiber and protein present in almonds also helps curb your appetite so that you don't over indulge and can save your appetite for your next meal27.

Berries are also great snacks to have in your repertoire. I love sweet foods, so berries help me satisfy my sweet tooth without taking in a substantial amount of sugar. On average, raspberries, black berries and strawberries have 200% less sugar per serving than bananas (4.8 g vs. 12 g per 100 grams)!! The low sugar content in these berries along with their high fiber content will ensure that your insulin levels remain stable and your appetite is regulated.

Another snack that I enjoy eating is granola. One of the great things about granola is its versatility and awesome taste. You can buy granola and mix it with fruits, peanut butter and/or yogurt. Since granola is made up of mostly oats, it's also high in fiber. Although granola can be a healthy snacking option, it's important to be conscious about which granola you buy. There are many granolas out there that contain added sugar and/or artificial sweeteners. I recommend that you stay away from these options and only buy granola that is naturally sweetened using dried fruits and/or honey. Try mixing granola with nuts and dried fruits in plain Greek yogurt to enjoy a healthy protein rich snack.

As with any snack, it's important to watch how much of it you eat in-between meals. It's quite easy to over indulge, and falling prey to this habit can set you back on your weight loss goals. A technique that's worked for me in the past is to measure and pack a specific amount of snacks for the day. Once those snacks are gone, you no longer have snacks available for the day. I would do this often with my granola and berry snack combination. I would measure out ½ a cup of granola (226 calories) and ½ a cup of raspberries (32 calories) and mix them together in a Tupperware container. I would then bring them to work and snack on them in-between meals. When I ran out of the snack I committed to not eating anything else until my next meal. Try this strategy out for yourself and use this free tool to approximate the calorie count of your snack (<https://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/>).

## Developing a successful, healthy eating strategy

_"I can't control everything in my life but I can control what I put in my body"_ – Unknown

Weight loss strategy

Now that we've gone over tips on what to eat for each meal it's time to develop your weight loss strategy. What makes an effective strategy? One that's consistent and measurable. In the book "The 4 hour body", Tim Ferriss recommends performing the following actions at the beginning of your weight loss journey. To start, take a picture of yourself in your underwear/swim suit and hang it up where you can see it regularly. Some of the best places to hang your picture are on your fridge, your bathroom mirror, your dining room table, etc. By taking a "Before" picture, you're giving yourself a visual representation of what you used to be. Next, take measurements of your body. Measurements such as the width of your waist, arms, thighs and stomach will give you great base line metrics so that you can track how well your program is working.

Finally, make a commitment to take a picture of all the food you eat for the next 3-5 days and, preferably, include one weekend day. This will give you an understanding of how much food you consume per day. You should place your hand next to your food to provide some reference. There's a great app called 'Lose It!' that allows you to take photos and log your food intake for the day. The app also has an awesome feature called "SnapIt!" which approximates how many calories are in a particular food based on the picture you take of it! This powerful tool has been proven to help people lose weight (73% of participants who use the app regularly lost clinically significant weight). Check it out for yourself!

SnapIt!: <https://www.loseit.com/>

Remember that throughout your weight loss journey, it's important to include others in your mission. A joint study conducted by the University of Michigan and the Veteran Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System examined 2 incentive programs in which 105 obese employees participated. The first group of employees would receive $100 for each month they were able to lose at least one pound per week. The second group was split into teams of 5 and each team would receive $500 to be split amongst its members if each team member achieved their pound per week weight loss goal. After 24 weeks, the 2nd group had lost nearly 3 times more weight than the first group and an average of 7 pounds more per member52! This study helps reinforce the power of competition and comradery when undertaking a weight loss program.

Last but not least, remember to have fun with the process and take positive steps forward every day. Although some of the things you'll have to do as a part of your weight loss program will be unpleasant, surrounding yourself with positive and supportive people will help you enjoy the process much more. Don't get hung up on making huge changes quickly. Some of the most drastic changes in life are achieved by taking one small step at a time.

Muscle building strategy

If you're anything like me, you'll fall into this category of healthy eating. Although I don't want to be as big as Arnold Schwarzenegger, I do want to add extra lean muscle to my frame. Depending on your body type, this can vary in difficulty but there are a few key components that, if followed, will help you pack on lean muscle. As stated in the "Weight loss" strategy section, it's important to measure what you put into your body and the results you achieve. Begin by weighing and taking a picture of yourself in your underwear or swimsuit. Write down your weight on the picture and hang it up somewhere you can see it often. Taking this approach will motivate you to keep going once you start seeing results.

The next step is to evaluate your protein intake. According to the American Institute of Medicine, 10-35% of our daily calories should come from protein65. This range may not be useful to us as is but we can further break it down into measurable parts. In a study conducted by McMaster University, scientists examined how protein is synthesized by the body. It was discovered that 1.3-1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight (0.6 – 0.8 grams per pound of body weight) is adequate for stimulating maximal protein synthesis. However, they do note that protein intake should be higher for those performing frequent high-intensity training or dieting to lose fat66. I currently intake about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight and have experienced positive results.

However, not all protein is created equal. Some great sources of protein include wild-caught fish, eggs, beans, grass-fed beef, tofu, peanut butter and cottage cheese. Incorporating these foods into your diet will help you reach your goals faster while maintaining a healthy disposition. Eating lots of greens is also essential to ensure you're getting the vitamins and minerals you need to support muscle growth. Vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli, pepper and Brussel sprouts are packed with nutrients your body needs to operate at peak performance. For more tips and strategies on what to eat check out the "Healthy eating habits" resources section.

## Delving into your gut

_"A healthy outside starts from the inside"_ – Robert Urich

The title of this section may seem odd, but understanding how your gut's health affects your overall health will help you compound your positive results. Your gut is made up of trillions of microbes and bacteria. Most of these organisms are necessary for normal digestion and they ensure that your body absorbs all its essential nutrients. Often times what happens is the balance of "good bacteria" and "bad bacteria" gets out of whack and as a result people experience inflammation, develop chronic diseases and/or gain weight. So how do you maintain a healthy gut so you can maximize your health? Let's find out:

Eating fermented foods

I know what you're thinking. You're probably saying, "Ew. Why would I eat fermented foods? Doesn't that mean its gone bad?" On the contrary, eating fermented foods is a great way to maintain healthy gut flora. Foods such as plain Greek yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi are packed with healthy bacteria cultures. These cultures help your body do some amazing things. In a study conducted by Dr. Gemma Walton, a gut microbiologist from Reading University, her results showed that a pre-biotic diet increases the number of good bacteria in the gut and helps support immune health67. A pre-biotic diet has also been shown to help people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome and other inflammatory diseases. Make it a mission to incorporate one of these fermented foods into your diet. Remember, diversity of diet is key for a healthy gut.

Avoiding artificial sweeteners

Before you start believing that artificial sweeteners are better for you than sugar, let's first look at the evidence. Let me start by saying that eating sugar in large quantities is bad for you no matter how you look at it. However, studies have shown that artificial sweeteners are just as bad, if not worse, for you than sugar. This is especially true when discussing the health of bacteria in your gut. Artificial sweeteners impair your body's natural insulin response and increases blood sugar levels. These changes support the growth of Clostridium and Enterobacteriaceae in the intestines. These bacteria, if present in high amounts, have been shown to lead to various chronic diseases88. Next time, instead of using an artificial sweetener, try using a bit of honey or go without. By doing this you'll help your healthy gut bacteria prosper, and feel great as a result.

Eating and/or supplementing Pre-biotics

As discussed previously, eating a pre-biotic diet helps support a healthy gut and immune system. But what happens when your diet isn't enough to promote healthy gut flora? This is where pre-biotic supplements come in. These supplements often come in the form of pills that you take each morning and are filled with healthy bacteria cultures. I recently began incorporating a pre-biotic supplement into my daily routine and have noticed a difference in my energy levels throughout the day. However, not all supplements are created equal. I use a plant based pre-biotic that was highly rated on amazon. I've provided the link to this supplement as well as some other highly rated supplements below. The first week or so on the product it cleaned me out, so don't be surprised if this is the case for you as well. After using this product for around 2 months now, I can honestly say I feel great and will continue using it. If you're not getting enough diversity and/or fermented foods into your diet, consider taking a pre-biotic supplement to help support your digestive health.

Vitamineral Green Superfood Powder (My choice): https://www.amazon.com/HealthForce-Vitamineral-Green-SuperFood-Powder/dp/B0188LUXOU/ref=sr_1_cc_1_a_it?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1498040503&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=vitamineral+green

Athletic Greens: <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00THEPSPW?th=1>

Green Vibrance: <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SK66J0Q?th=1>

Action Items

Weight Loss

1) Drink at least 2 glasses of water per day.

  1. Eliminate sodas, fruit juices and sports drinks from your diet.

2) Reduce or eliminate flour and sugar from your diet

  1. Take the susceptibility test to see where you rank on the food susceptibility scale.

3) Remove all the un-healthy foods from your house and commit to not buying them in the future (For a list of "Is it Healthy?" questions, check out the "Healthy eating habits" resources section).

Meals for the day

4) Incorporate a breakfast, lunch and dinner that are high in fiber and protein.

  1. If you're looking to build muscle, make sure to eat at least 0.8 gram of protein per pound of body weight.

5) Ensure that every meal includes a significant portion of cruciferous vegetables and/or other greens.

6) Measure out an exact portion of your daily snack and commit to not eating more once it's complete.

Delving into your gut

7) Eliminate your intake of artificial sweeteners.

  1. Opt instead for a little bit of honey or go without.

8) Research various pre-biotic supplements and consider taking one each morning.

# Exercise

_"Fitness is not about being better than someone else... It's about being better than you used to be"_ – Brett Hoebel (Fitness Expert)

Exercise is food for the soul. It makes your body and mind hum. Incorporating some sort of exercise regimen into your weekly routine is essential to maximize your long-term health and vitality. Not everyone will have the same goals when it comes to exercise. Some will want to be lean and toned while others will want to achieve size and strength. There is no wrong way; there's only the right way for you. So what are your goals when it comes to exercising? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to get lean and toned? Do you want to become jacked and ripped? The way you answer these questions will determine what exercise regimen you pursue. In this section we'll explore various exercise regimens and I'll make suggestions on specific training methods based on what your fitness goals are. I'm not a certified trainer or doctor. Before starting any new workout regimen, consult a licensed professional to see if it's something that's right for you.

## What are your fitness goals?

Before you begin your new exercise regimen, you must first determine what your fitness goals are. Are you looking to build muscle size? To build strength? To build endurance? Depending on how you answer these questions, you'll need to tailor your workout plan to fit your new goals. Below I've highlighted some of the most common fitness goals and how to best develop your workout regimen to achieve them:

Building muscle size

If your goal is to build muscle size, you'll need to execute your lifts in a state of muscular hypertrophy. In the context of exercise, muscular hypertrophy is described as "the enlargement of muscular tissue as a result of an increase in the size of its cells". This means that your muscle cells will actually grow in size! To operate in a state of muscular hypertrophy you'll need to find a weight that you can perform between 8-12 repetitions. This is usually achieved by utilizing a weight that's between 70 - 80% of your 1 repetition maximum weight89. The optimal number of sets for each lift is between 2 to 4 sets. As part of any good muscle building regimen, it's important to rest around 1 - 2 minutes in between sets. Since you're lifting weights that will push your limits, it's crucial that you give your muscles time to rest in between sets so that you can maximize their output during your workout.

In order to continually improve your physique and push your limits, it's also important to increment up your weights every work out session. For example, if you perform a bench press exercise with 135 pounds for 3 sets of 8 repetitions in your first workout session, in the next workout session you would lift 140 pounds for 1 set of 8 repetitions and 135 pounds for 2 sets of 8 repetitions. Each work out session, increase the weight of the remaining 135 pound sets by 5 pounds until you're lifting 140 pounds for 3 sets of 8. The amount of weight you increase per session doesn't have to be 5 pounds but do try to force yourself to push your limits each session. This will help you consistently operate in a state of hypertrophy.

In order for your muscles to grow in size, you need to give them ample time to rest. Ensure that you get a restful night's sleep each night and don't work out too many consecutive days. The optimal number of workouts per week is between 3 and 5. Make sure that on your rest days you're hydrating appropriately (at least ½ gallon per day) and eating healthy and nutritious food. Believe me when I say that your muscles will thank you.

Developing muscle endurance

If you're a distance athlete, swimmer, biker or someone who just wants to build muscle endurance, you'll have to tweak your training regimen a bit. Endurance training involves activating your muscles over a longer period of time. This helps improve cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular endurance during any aerobic or anaerobic exercise40. In order for you to achieve an optimal state where muscular endurance can be developed, you should reduce the weight you use and increase your repetitions per set. You generally want to keep the weight around 60% of your 1 rep max and perform the exercise for between 15 -20 repetitions per set. This range of repetitions allows your muscles to build endurance while avoiding over exertion. Although there is no set time you should rest in between sets, many endurance coaches recommend a rest period between 45 seconds and 2 minutes. Try out different rest intervals and see what works for you.

Be sure to also incorporate other endurance training into your regime. Whether you're a runner, swimmer or biker ensure that you dedicate some time each week to do your respective drills. Even if your goal is to just get into shape, make sure to incorporate some of sort of aerobic exercise outside of your regular lifting regimen. Incorporating other endurance training will help further increase your muscle endurance and have you feeling great as a result.

As with size training, it's important to allow your body to rest and recover from your exercise sessions. Endurance training can be taxing on the body and you should limit your exercise sessions to no more than 5 per week. The few extra rest days will ensure that your body is well rested so that you can maximize your results in each of your subsequent sessions.

Building strength

Unlike endurance training, building strength will force you to operate at the other end of the spectrum. Building strength requires you to lift heavy weight. I know this may seem like a pretty basic concept but many people ignore this advice. The optimal number of repetitions for strength training is between 1-6 repetitions. This repetition range can be achieved by using weights that correspond to 85% - 95% of your 1 rep max. Lifting heavy weight will shock your nervous system, so it's important to get the proper amount of rest in between sets. The recommended rest time in between sets is 3 – 5 minutes40. Although this may seem like quite a bit of rest, your body will need it to operate at peak performance.

Strength training is very taxing on your central nervous system and its best to give yourself a rest day in between sessions. The optimal number of workouts per week will be between 3-4 times per week. You should also make sure to eat healthy and nutritious food (see the "Healthy eating habits" resources section) to maximize your results.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a form of interval training which consists of alternating short bursts of intense anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods. A HIIT workout consists of a subject performing a short burst of high-intensity exercise (e.g. Sprints) followed by a brief low-intensity activity (e.g. Jog). This cycle repeats until the subject is too exhausted to continue performing the exercise. Because a HIIT workout regimen is very demanding on the body, most HIIT sessions last no more than 30-45 minutes.

Although this kind of exercise is demanding on the body, it's hard to argue with its results. In a recent study conducted and published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Fitness, scientists compared participants who performed a steady-state cardio routine for 30 minutes three times a week to those who did 20 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) three times a week. At the end of the study, both groups showed similar weight loss but the HIIT group experienced a 2 percent loss in body fat while the steady-state group lost only 0.3 percent in body fat. On top of that, the HIIT group gained almost 2 pounds of lean muscle while the steady-state group lost almost 1 pound of muscle61!

HIIT regimens were also shown to have positive effects on overall cardiovascular endurance. Japanese researcher Izumi Tabata designed a HIIT training regimen which now bears his name (Tabata) and consists of performing an all-out activity for 20 seconds followed by a 10 second low intensity period. This cycle is repeated until the participant reaches four minutes of activity. One of Dr. Tabata's most famous findings demonstrated that participants who performed 20 seconds of all-out cycling, followed by 10 seconds of low intensity cycling for 4 minutes experienced almost identical increases in VO2 capacity (maximal aerobic capacity) as participants who performed 45 minutes of long, slow cardio 4 times per week62. Since VO2 capacity is one of the best indicators of an athlete's cardiovascular fitness and endurance, individuals looking to increase their cardiovascular endurance and lean muscle mass would benefit from a HIIT regimen.

Although there are a significant amount of positives associated with HIIT we shouldn't forget to analyze its less favorable attributes. Since this routine is extremely demanding on the body, it's important to understand that you should not perform this kind of training on a daily basis. Your Central Nervous System (CNS), which is affected by high intensity training, needs at least 48 hours to recover after your interval workout. As a result, this regimen would be most effective if performed only 1-3 times a week. Over training taxes your CNS and could cause muscle damage, mechanical tension and/or metabolic stress. By understanding how to use HIIT to its full potential, you can experience transformational results in your physique and endurance. For a great article with more information regarding HIIT exercises you can incorporate into your routine check out the link provided below:

<https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/high-intensity-interval-training-the-ultimate-guide.html>

## Designing your perfect workout routine

Now that you have an idea of what your goals are for your physique, you may begin designing your new workout regimen. One of the most common ways to structure your program is by breaking your workout days down into muscle groups. Your main muscle groups are chest, back, biceps/triceps, legs, shoulders and core. The way I've structured my workouts in the past is by selecting muscles groups that are "complementary" to one another. For example, since you work your biceps every time you work your back (the pulling motion), it may be a good idea to pair up those muscle groups into a single day. Below I've provided a list of explanations of some of my favorite exercises:

Upper body

Bench press

This is one of the best lifts you can do to develop strong pectoral and tricep muscles. This lift can be performed with either a set of dumbbells or a barbell. You want to make the bench press a full-body lift. As New York City personal trainer Bryan Krahn puts it, "Force must transfer through your hips and torso to the bar". To start the lift, you should lay flat on the bench, bring your shoulder blades together and arch your back so that your ribs are pointing to the ceiling and your lower back is slightly off the bench. Your feet should be flat on the floor. If you're using a bar for this exercise, make sure to grab it about shoulder width apart and squeeze it tight to prepare for the lift. If you're using dumbbells, be sure to hold them about shoulder width apart in the resting position while maintaining good bench form. Now that you're set up for the lift correctly, it's time to execute the lift.

To start the lift, tighten your back, abs, glutes and legs and lower the bar to your solar plexus (just below your chest). Throughout this entire motion you'll want to make sure to tuck your elbows close to your side and ensure that your arms form a 45-degree angle with your torso in the bottom position. When the bar is about 2-3 inches above your chest, drive your feet into the ground and press the bar/dumbbells to the starting position. Repeat this motion for the desired number of repetitions32. For added difficulty, increase the weight and/or sets. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift:

<https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/barbell-bench-press-medium-grip>

Push ups

Push-ups are a great exercise for building chest muscles and toning your arms. When doing your push-ups, keep your back straight on the descent and be sure to stop 2-3 inches above the ground before rising back up to the starting position. You should feel a nice chest and tricep burn if this is done correctly. The wider apart your hands, the more you work your chest, while the closer your hands are together, the more you work your triceps. Switch up different techniques to increase your results. For added difficulty place your feet on a sturdy, stable and elevated surface as you perform the exercise. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift:

<https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/close-hands-push-up>

Dumbbell flyes

This exercise helps build strong pectoral muscles. To start, grab your desired weight and lay on a flat bench. Lift the weights up while keeping your palms facing together. As you slowly lower the weights to your side you should feel the tension move across your chest, shoulders and upper arms. Keep your wrists straight and elbows slightly bent as you come back up to the starting position. Make sure that the position of your shoulders and elbows never drop lower than the bench. Repeat this cycle for the desired number of repetitions. For added difficulty, increase the weight and/or sets. Be sure to maintain proper form throughout the lift. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift:

<https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/dumbbell-flyes>

Shoulders and arms

Bicep curl

Want toned bicep muscles? Well then this is the lift for you. In this lift you'll grab weights and keep them at your side with your palms facing outward. To start, keep your elbow tight against your side and flex your bicep muscle to bring the weight towards your chest. Repeat this motion with the other arm for your desired number of repetitions. For added difficultly, increase the weight and/or sets. Be sure to maintain proper form throughout the lift. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift:

<https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/dumbbell-alternate-bicep-curl>

Tricep dips

This is one of the best exercises you can do to develop your triceps. You can perform this exercise using a sturdy elevated surface (e.g. couch) or a dip bar. When performing dips on a sturdy elevated surface start by turning your back to the edge, placing your hands on the edge of the surface and extending your legs out in front of you. When you perform the dip, try to bend your arms 90 degrees before extending them back to the start position. If you're using a dip bar place your hands on the bars and bend your arms to 90 degrees before you come back to your starting position. For added difficultly increase the weight and/or sets. Be sure to maintain proper form throughout the lift. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift.

Bench Dips: <https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/bench-dips>

Dip Bar: <https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/dips-triceps-version>

Shoulder press

Do you want to develop ripped and toned shoulders? Well this is the perfect lift for you. Grab a set of dumbbells that you feel comfortable lifting and bring them up to your shoulders. Before starting the lift, make sure that your elbows are at 90 degrees and your palms are facing outward. Lift the weights straight up, hold them at the top for 1 second and then make your way down to the starting position. Repeat this movement for the desired number of repetitions. For added difficultly increase the weight and/or sets. Be sure to maintain proper form throughout the lift. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEwKCR5JCog>

Back exercises

Rows

This exercise will help you achieve a strong toned back that will look great come beach season. To start the lift, grab weights that you feel comfortable lifting and place one of your knees on a flat bench. Second, place your corresponding hand on the bench and straighten your back so your torso is parallel with the bench. Use your other hand to grab the weight below you and pull the weight towards your chest. Throughout this lift it's important to keep your back straight and avoid swinging your body as you bring the weight up. When you bring the weight to your chest, hold it there for 1 second before lowering it to the original starting position. Repeat this movement for the desired number of repetitions and then switch sides to perform the exercise with your other arm. For added difficultly increase the weight and/or sets. Be sure to maintain proper form throughout the lift. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-koP10y1qZI>

Pull ups

This exercise will require you to have a bar. Here's a solid one for under $30.

_Pull up bar_ :

https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Gym-Total-Upper-Workout/dp/B001EJMS6K/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1499105345&sr=1-3&keywords=pull+up+bar

Place each hand on the respective handles and pull yourself up until your chin is just above the bar. If you need assistance have someone hold your feet as you perform the exercise. Avoid swinging to get yourself above the bar as this may lead to injury. For added difficulty, place a weighted object in-between your legs as you perform the exercise. Be sure to maintain proper form throughout the lift. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGo4IYlbE5g>

Rear flyes

This exercise can be performed with either dumbbells or a rear fly machine. When using dumbbells, grab weights that you feel comfortable lifting and sit on a flat bench. While seated on the bench, bring your chest towards your knees and straighten your back as much as possible. Second, grab the weights and with your palms facing the ground, lift the weights at your side until your arms are almost parallel with the ground. Throughout this lift, you should have a slight bend in your arms and should maintain a controlled movement. Once you've reached the top position of the lift, slowly bring the weights back down to the starting position. Repeat this motion for your desired number of repetitions. For added difficultly increase the weight and/or sets. Be sure to maintain proper form throughout the lift. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA7u4Q_8HQ0>

Lower Body

Squat

If you want to develop your leg muscles, there is no better lift than the squat. To begin this lift, rest the bar on your traps (the muscles above your shoulders that you shrug with) and keep your head pointed up. The bar will most likely feel uncomfortable on your back the first few times you perform this lift but the unpleasantness will subside over time. Throughout the entire lift you're going to want to keep your shoulder blades squeezed together so that you maintain the bar in a stable position. Space your feet shoulder width apart and point your toes slightly outward. Keep your elbows pointed towards the floor and your chest up and out. Maintaining this position will prevent you from falling forward when you're in the bottom position of the lift.

Now that you're set up correctly begin the lift by taking a deep breath, driving your heals into the ground and slowly descending while keeping your back straight. This motion should feel like you are about to sit down in a chair. If it's your first time squatting, you may feel off balance but just make sure to keep your weight on your heels. When your thighs are parallel with the floor, drive your heels into the ground and stand back up. As you execute each repetition, focus on your form to ensure that you keep your back straight and you're shifting your weight to your heels.

* **Side Note for guys looking to gain strength/size and girls looking to achieve toned legs)** \- Although this is many people's most hated lift, working your legs has some unique benefits. Compound movements such as the squat hit more than one muscle and the more fibers you stress during the lift, the more testosterone will be released into your blood stream. This increase in testosterone promotes protein retention in the muscles which means that your muscles absorb more protein33. As a result, you'll experience muscle growth throughout your body. The moral of the story is that if you want to maximize your size and strength, it's crucial that you incorporate this lift into your routine. Don't worry ladies; your body doesn't naturally produce enough testosterone for you to gain substantial muscle size. Therefore, you shouldn't worry too much about developing massive legs if you squat. By performing this lift on a consistent basis, ladies can expect to achieve lean and toned legs, glutes and thighs. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift.

<https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/barbell-squat>

Single leg split squats

This is an awesome exercise that targets your quad, hamstring and glute muscles. To perform this lift you'll need to find a level, stable and elevated surface to rest your foot on. Place the front of your foot on the elevated surface and put your other foot out in front of you. Once stabilized, bend the knee that's out in front to 90 degrees and hold that position for one second before coming back to your starting position. Repeat this cycle until you've hit your desired number of repetitions and switch legs. For added difficulty, perform this exercise with weight and/or increase the number of sets. Be sure to maintain proper form throughout the lift. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift:

<https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/split-squat-with-dumbbells>

Hamstring curls

The hamstring curl exercise is one of the best exercises for targeting your hamstring muscles. To begin, find a wall and turn your body so one of your shoulders is facing the wall. Shift your weight to the leg closest to the wall and extend your other leg downward with your toes pointing towards the ground. Bend the knee of your extended leg and try to touch your heel to your butt. Once you're at the top of the exercise, hold that position for one second and bring your leg back to the starting position. This exercise can also be performed with weight by utilizing a hamstring curl machine. Be sure to read the machine instructions carefully before performing the lift. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oimeUrwxEo0>

Deadlift

The deadlift is the final of the 3 core strength lifts. If done correctly, deadlifting will strengthen everything from your traps to your calves. However, poor form can lead to injuries pretty quickly, so be sure to concentrate on executing the lift correctly. To begin, stand up with your feet shoulder width apart and bend your hips back as you reach down to grab the bar. Make sure your back is straight, your knees are slightly bent and your weight is on your heels. Pull the bar in towards your body and look down towards the floor. Make sure that in this position, your chest is directly over the bar.

To execute the lift, take a deep breath, drive your heels into the ground and stand up. Think about sitting in a chair as you begin to pull. This technique will help you keep your weight on your heels and ensure that you activate your glute and hamstring muscles during the lift. Thrust your hips forward as you stand up to finish off the lift. MAKE SURE TO KEEP YOUR BACK STRAIGHT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRETY OF THE LIFT. Never allow your back to curve or arch in an unnatural way while performing the lift. If you feel your back begin to bend, drop the weight and either start over or reduce the weight. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift:

<https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/barbell-deadlift>

Abdominal lifts

Mountain climbers

Find the hiker within you with this workout. Get into a push-up position, keep your back straight and alternate tucking each knee to your chest. For added difficulty, tuck both knees towards your chest. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift:

<https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/mountain-climbers>

Bicycle sit ups

Ever wonder why cyclists have such a strong core? This exercise may have something to do with it. Lay flat on the ground with your hands behind your head. Begin to tuck one of your knees towards your chest while keeping the other leg pointed out. As you bring your knee towards your chest, slightly twist your torso so that your opposite elbow meets your knee as it comes towards your chest. Repeat this motion with your other leg. For added difficulty increase repetitions and/or sets. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FGilxCbdz8>

Planks

Planks are a great exercise for building a strong core. Place your forearms on the ground shoulder width apart and put your hands face down in front of you (use a yoga mat for added comfort). Set a timer for between 30 – 90 seconds and hold this position until your time is up. For added difficulty alternate touching each hip to the ground while holding the plank. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift:

<https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/plank>

Leg lifts

To begin this exercise lay flat on a level surface and raise your feet 6 inches above the ground. While keeping your legs straight, lift your legs until your feet are pointed to the ceiling. Lower your legs to 6 inches above the ground. Repeat this motion until your set is completed. For added difficultly, try touching your feet each time you raise your legs. Below I've provided a link to an instructional video of the lift.

<https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/flat-bench-lying-leg-raise>

Periodization

As you progress along your workout regimen you'll begin to notice your results slow and eventually plateau. Your exercise regimen is a stressor that shocks your body into change but over time your body will get used to the stress. This is where the concept of "Periodization" becomes important. Periodization is the act of changing variables in your workout routine in order to increase stimulation and resulting adaptation79. This can be done by increasing the amount of weight lifted; a change in the number of repetitions, exercise selection or other program variables to create a new stressor and increase stimulation43. These changes should occur only after you've followed your workout regimen for a certain period of time.

So what's the best time interval range to follow? The time range that I've found most effective and is supported by other sources is between 6 -8 weeks79. After this period has elapsed you can begin shaping a new workout routine and start the cycle over again. In the "Exercise" resources section of the book, I've provided a few sample exercise regimens that I've used in the past. Utilizing the workout regimens and techniques discussed in this section you'll be well on your way to building the body of your dreams.

Writing down your workouts

The final piece of the puzzle to finalize your workout routine is to write down your workouts. Although I've been guilty of not heeding this advice in the past, I will no longer make that mistake. I've found that writing down my workouts and specifying sets, repetitions and weight has helped me to significantly improve my results. This is because I was able to keep track of all my workouts and **INCREASE** my weight each time. Breaking your schedule out into a weekly format will help you keep track of where you are on your schedule.

My brother would carry around a notepad that he used to write down all his lifting information. Although this is a great option, it's not necessary. I use "Evernote" to keep track of all my workout routines. With Evernote, I can break out my workouts into different sections and categorize them based on periodization cycle. It's an awesome app that I highly recommend. I've provided the link to the application below:

Evernote: <https://evernote.com/>

## Recovery

_"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop"_ \- Ovid

Your recovery period is probably more important than your actual training regimen. No matter how hard you train or what type of training routine you're on, you won't achieve the results you desire if you don't allow your body to recover in-between sessions. So what constitutes recovery and how can we make sure we're doing the right things to ensure our success?

Eating right

There's nothing that will sabotage your results faster than a poor diet. As your body recovers, it needs the necessary nutrients to replenish and prepare for future training sessions. A diet consisting of processed foods that are high in sugars and junk food filled with preservatives will not allow your body to operate at peak performance.

As discussed in the "Healthy eating habits" section of the book, foods that are high in protein and fiber will help you decrease excess body fat and develop lean muscle. High protein foods include organic chicken, fresh fish, eggs, grass fed beef and Greek yogurt. Vegetarian options include beans, nuts, seeds, tofu and quinoa. Incorporating lots of greens into your diet is also extremely beneficial. Vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals that help your muscles recover and support your overall health. In the "Healthy eating habits" resources section in the back of the book I've provided some of the recipes that I've used in the past to achieve a lean muscular physique.

How you sleep

Now that we've discussed some of the key nutrition concepts to support your overall health, let's delve into your sleeping habits. As you sleep your body goes to work repairing itself so you can tackle the next day with renewed energy and vigor. If your sleep schedule and sleep quality are compromised, your muscle recovery will be as well. What are a few things you can do to ensure that you maximize your time asleep so that you can reap the rewards it brings? Let's find out:

Wake up early

As discussed previously in this book, waking up early is a great way to ensure that your body follows natural circadian cycles. Have you ever heard the expression the early bird gets the worm? Not only does going to bed early and waking up early help ensure you get enough sleep and have more time in the morning to be productive, it also increases the quality of your sleep. In the book "Sleep Smarter" by Shawn Stevenson, Shawn talks about how our "money time" sleep is between 10 pm and 2 am. This is the time range where your body is conditioned to get its best REM sleep. The longer you stay in REM sleep, the more rejuvenated you feel in the morning3. I personally go to sleep at 10 pm and wake up at 5 am. Ever since adopting this schedule I've noticed I wake up feeling rejuvenated and I have more time in the morning to dedicate to other activities.

Get more sunlight

This one came as a surprise to me when I first read about it. Your body needs vitamin D to help build strong bones and support your immune health. Since our bodies can't produce vitamin D naturally, the best external source of Vitamin D is through direct sunlight. Your pineal gland produces melatonin roughly in approximation to the contrast of bright sun exposure in the day and complete darkness at night81. Melatonin is known as the sleep hormone and helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. You don't need to be outside for a long time either. You can get your daily recommended dose of vitamin D in as little as 15 minutes per day! Make the commitment to take a 15-minute walk before work. This new habit may help you sleep like a baby.

Curb caffeine consumption

Caffeine consumption before bed is one of the most common causes for lack of restful sleep. Considering the average American consumes 3.1 cups of coffee a day82, it's easy to see why this is the case. Caffeine has a half-life of 5-6 hours, so if you consume coffee at 5:00 p.m., you'll still have ½ the caffeine in your system by 11 pm. Caffeine inhibits receptors in your brain from taking in Adenosine. Adenosine is a chemical that makes you feel drowsy and aids in the sleeping process. If caffeine is consumed too close to bed time, it can greatly reduce the quality of your sleep90. Coffee can be a great way to give you a boost in the morning but it's important not to let it become a crutch. Limit your caffeine intake and make sure to not consume caffeine after 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon to help ensure that you get a good night's sleep.

Turn off screens before bed

This recommendation is often the hardest for most people to follow but can have the biggest impact on sleep quality. Turning off all screens 1 hour before going to bed will have the most impactful effect on your sleep quality. The blue light emitted by your cell phone/TV inhibits your body's production of melatonin3. This causes your body to take longer to fall into deep REM sleep. Since your body experiences the most rejuvenating sleep when you're in REM sleep, losing just 1 hour of REM sleep can cause you to feel groggy and irritable the next day. Although this may seem difficult, it is recommended that you avoid screen time for at least 1 hour before bed time. Take this extra time to connect with loved ones, play board games and/or read a good book.

If you absolutely can't pull yourself away from your computer/mobile device, there are some applications out there that help REDUCE the effect your devices have on your ability to produce melatonin. Flux is a computer application that helps remove some of the harmful blue light emitted from your computer and replaces it with red light. Red light is less harmful to your body's natural production of melatonin. If you have an iPhone, there is a feature called "Night Shift" that has similar functionality to Flux. I've provided a link to Flux below:

Flux: <https://justgetflux.com/>

Black out curtains

As we discussed previously, blue light has a detrimental effect on sleep quality. If you live in an area where there are lights on at night (i.e. cities, suburban areas, etc.) you're constantly being bombarded by blue light as you sleep. Your body is expecting it to be pitch black when you go to sleep, so when you have these lights shining it diminishes your sleep quality81. I was able to buy a black out curtain on amazon for a very reasonable price. This simple implementation has improved my sleep quality substantially and without much effort. I've provided a link to the blackout curtains that I purchased below:

Black out curtains:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R1V33M8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00R1V33M8&linkCode=as2&tag=thestrongprof-20&linkId=685f24b97570e9cf2d569b491161c347

Achieving the body of your dreams takes time and determination. Utilizing the information and action items presented in this section will bring you closer to achieving your long-term fitness goals. Although the process may feel slow and arduous, know that I believe in you and your ability to achieve anything you set your mind to.

Action Items

What are your fitness goals?

1) Determine what fitness goals you want to accomplish and commit to incorporating an exercise regimen into your daily routine.

Developing your perfect workout routine

2) Design your workout routine for the next month

  1. Be sure to structure each workout day using complementary muscle groups (e.g. Chest and Triceps, Back and Biceps, Shoulders and Abs, Legs etc).
  2. For sample workout regimens, check out the "Exercise" resources section in the back of the book.

3) Write down each of your exercise routines.

Recovery

4) Determine your new early wake up time and commit to sticking with it for the next 4 weeks.

5) Get at least 10-15 minutes of direct sunlight per day.

6) If you drink coffee or any other caffeinated beverage, commit to not drinking them after noon for the next 3 months.

7) Commit to turning off all electronics at least 30 minutes before going to sleep.

8) Research and buy black out curtains.

# Finances

_"Rule Number 1: Never lose money--- Rule Number 2: Never forget rule number 1"_ – Warren Buffet

The topic of personal finance is a controversial one for many people. It's a subject that was never taught in schools and most people never get properly educated on the matter. I've seen many people, especially in our age group (millennials), spend money like its water and have no regard for their future. This is a recipe for financial disaster. In this section, I'll teach you about how to save money, build systems so that you can automate your finances and begin to build wealth over time. We'll also delve into concepts such as reducing your expenses, increasing your income, reducing/eliminating student debt and I'll explain how you can allocate the money you have left after saving/investing to pursue what you love; whether that's spending time with friends and family, diving into a new hobby or travelling the world.

## Saving

_"Don't save what you have after spending, spend what you have after saving"_ – Warren Buffet

Developing a savings mindset

Most financial books out there will tell you to save, save, save. Although many people agree with the importance of saving, most people don't heed the advice. Before we tackle the issue of how much to save per month, we must first develop a mindset of saving.

One of the best ways for beginners to do this is to keep a coin jar. As you begin to add coins to the jar, you'll see the contents of the jar begin to grow. Soon, you'll run out of space in the jar and will have to take the jar to your local bank to cash in. Once you see the money you receive for your savings efforts, it will push you to increase your savings. However, if you want to save more than just a few coins, begin setting aside x% or $x of your income each month. To determine this number, you'll need to sit down and go over your fixed costs. Fixed costs include costs such as rent, car payments, groceries and other essentials. Sum up all these costs and subtract them from your total monthly income. After you determine how much money you'd like to save from the amount left over, write the number down and commit to saving at least that amount each month.

The number doesn't have to be huge but remember that the more you save now the more you'll have in the future. Now that you have a number in mind, let's go over how to set up a savings account so you can begin the process of saving in your sleep.

Setting up a savings account

This may seem like a no brainer but in order to effectively save for the long haul, you'll need to open up a savings account. If you keep all your money in your checking account, you'll be too tempted to spend it. This happens to the best of us and it's not something that only a few people struggle with. Although there are many options for savings accounts at brick and mortar banks, many of these options do not offer very competitive interest rates. With the growth of online banking over the last decade, online savings accounts have become the more favorable option. Some of the interest rates on these online savings accounts can be in excess of 1%. That's almost 1000% higher than standard savings account interest rates!

Some of the online savings account providers I've researched include Ally Bank, American Express Online Savings and Capital One Savings. I've provided some links to the accounts below. For a list of more savings accounts options, check out the link provided here: (<http://www.toptenreviews.com/money/services/best-online-only-banks/>)

Ally Bank

**Interest rate:** 1.15% _(As of August 2017)_

**Minimum deposit:** $0

Ally bank is consistently among the highest rated online banks. They have been in the game for over a decade and offer an easy to use mobile banking app. At a 1.15% rate, their savings account rate is one of the best in the industry and they have customer service representatives available 24/7 to answer any questions you may have. To open up an Ally bank online savings account check out the link provided below:

<https://www.ally.com/bank/online-savings-account/>

Capital One 360 Savings

**Interest rate:** 0.75% _(As of August 2017)_

**Minimum deposit:** $0

I personally use capital one 360 savings as my savings option. The main reason for this is that I use the Capital One "Venture Card" and decided it would be easy to sync the 2 accounts. Although this savings account option offers a lower return than the other two options, it offers a unique feature that will help you track your savings goals. Capital One 360 provides a feature called "My Savings Goals" which helps users set amounts and deadlines for savings goals. This feature tells you exactly how much you need to save each month to reach your goals. It's a pretty cool tool that I use often. To open up a Capital One online savings account check out the link provided below:

<https://www.capitalone.com/savings-accounts/online-savings-account/>

American Express Savings

**Interest rate:** 1.05% _(As of August 2017)_

**Minimum deposit:** $0

As one of the most admired companies in America (#8 in 2016), American Express is known for providing quality products to its customers. Although I don't personally have experience with the company, their reviews speak of great customer service and an easy application process. My family has had American Express accounts for many years and they speak very highly of their experience with the company. To open up an American Express online savings account check out the link provided below:

<https://personalsavings.americanexpress.com/high-yield-savings-account.html>

Now that you've opened your savings account, it's time to set up automatic transfers from your checking account to your savings account. Log into your online savings account and search for "account transfers" in the search bar. In the list provided you should have an option to transfer money from one account to another. Once you enter this screen, set up your checking account as a valid transfer account. If your checking account is not associated with your new bank (e.g. you have an ally savings account but your checking account is with Wells Fargo) you'll have to go through a security validation process. In my situation, my Capital One Savings account made 2 small transfers to my checking account. Once the transfers were complete, I confirmed these values with my capital one savings account to create the transfer link to my checking account. This process may be different depending on which bank you use. For step by step instructions on how to set up account transfers for each of the savings accounts listed previously, check out the links provided below:

Capital One: <https://www.capitalone.com/more-info-savings/>

American Express:  
https://personalsavings.americanexpress.com/faq.html#fndtn-panel11

Ally Bank: <https://www.ally.com/help/bank/transfers.html>

Once you have the links set up, specify the amount you want to transfer each pay day. If you get paid bi-weekly (once every 2 weeks) divide your monthly savings goal by two and specify that amount as your transfer amount. This means that on your pay day (e.g. 15th of the month) when your paycheck gets directly deposited into your checking account, your savings account will automatically draw out the specified funds. Make sure to periodically check back to see if you're on track to hit your savings goals for the year.

As your savings begin to grow, you may feel tempted to access your account and spend your money on consumer goods. It's important not to give into that temptation and instead continue to save towards your initial "Emergency Fund". An emergency fund is money that you set aside strictly for emergencies. Although there's no definitive amount you should keep in your emergency fund, it's always good to keep enough money to cover between 3-6 months of expenses. The reason this number is so high is because unexpected events can happen in our lives and can have devastating consequences if we're not prepared. Car accidents, the loss of a family member and/or losing a job are just some of the unexpected crises that creep into our lives. If you don't have enough cash to cover your expenses during these times, you run the risk of using credit cards to fill the void. Since credit cards often have astronomical interest rates (14-25%) holding a large balance on your credit card for too long can be the start of a downward spiral for your finances. When you hit your emergency fund goal, it's time to start paying off any outstanding debt you may have.

## Eliminating Debt

_"I go on the principle that a public debt is a public curse"_ – James Madison

Credit card debt

When it comes to your debt pay-off strategy, paying off your credit card debt should be your top priority. Millennials between the ages of 18-24 and 25-34 owe an average of $1778 and $2735 respectively in credit card debt92. If you carried this debt on your credit card with an interest rate comparable to that of the national average (~15%), you could expect your debt to DOUBLE every 4.8 years! Now, this alone is a staggering realization to come to, but it can be even worse for those unfortunate few who carry a balance on a card with a higher than average interest rate. Some credit cards have interest rates as high as 28%75. At this rate of interest, the debt on your credit card would DOUBLE every 2 ½ years! Having these two scenarios in mind, you can begin to see how devastating carrying a balance on your credit card can be over time. Now let's look at how to design your debt pay off strategy so that you can eliminate your credit card debt and free up cash to be able save, invest and/or spend in other categories.

There are a few ways you can approach your credit card pay off strategy. The first is to focus on paying off your highest interest rate credit card while making minimum payments on other lower interest credit cards. This strategy will help you save more money in interest payments over time. The other strategy, which is the strategy recommended by the financial guru Dave Ramsey, is to pay off the credit card with the lowest balance first and then proceed to pay off the next lowest balance credit card. Although you may end up paying a bit more in interest payments in the long run, this strategy is still extremely effective because it allows you to get a "quick win" by paying off your first credit card quickly. Regardless of what strategy you choose to implement, I strongly encourage you to take action towards getting rid of your credit card debt.

To start, determine how much money per month you can set aside to pay off your credit card debt. Once you have this number, set up an auto payment on your credit card due date. You can do this via your credit card online portal. Depending on what strategy you choose and how many credit cards you owe money on, you may have to set up multiple automatic payments. Focus on allocating as much money as you can to the credit card you determine is your top priority and set up minimum payments on all your other credit cards. Once you pay off your first credit card, move on to the next by allocating all the excess funds you have to pay off the remaining balance. It's important to note that once you've finally paid off all your credit debt, DO NOT let yourself fall into this vicious cycle again. Be responsible when using credit cards and don't spend more than you can pay off each month. Eliminating this debt will not only lift a giant weight off your shoulders, it will allow you to start making your money work for you.

## Student loans

For many of us, student loan debt is our largest personal debt. With $1.28 trillion dollars in student loan debt spread amongst 44.2 million Americans, it's safe to say that it's one of the biggest financial burdens facing our generation50. If you fall into this category, it's important to understand your situation and what steps you can take to help eliminate this burden.

Loan consolidation

The concept of debt consolidation is an option that many students explore after graduating from college. Often times, students take out loans from multiple sources and have varying interest rates as a result. Some personal loans with variable interest rates can be as high as 18%51! This variability in interest rates can become a nightmare for students trying to prioritize their debt pay off. Fortunately, there are many options out there that will help you consolidate all your loans and package them under one low interest rate. This often substantially lowers your monthly payment and can save you thousands of dollars in interest payments over the course of the loan. Below I've provided an infographic that displays some of the top options for student loan consolidation. Each interest rate provided is up to date as of August 2017:

(Interest Rates: 2.79% - 6.74%)

<https://www.sofi.com/refinance-student-loan/>

(Interest Rates: 3.76% - 7.20%)

<https://www.laurelroad.com/refinance-student-loans>

(Interest Rates: 2.79% - 6.74%)

<https://commonbond.co/refinance-student-loan>

(Interest Rates: 2.66% - 7.26%)

<https://www.lendkey.com/student-loan-refinancing/?sk=organic>

(Interest Rates: 2.81% - 6.46%)

<https://www.earnest.com/refinance-student-loans>

(Interest Rates: 2.78% - 8.63%)

<https://studentloans.citizensbank.com/student>

As you can see, some of these rates could be much more favorable than your current student loan interest rate. Go to each of these websites and see what interest rate you're eligible for. The process only takes a few minutes and it will give you a better idea of what to expect. You can also visit studentloanhero.com at (<https://studentloanhero.com/featured/5-banks-to-refinance-your-student-loans/>) to see a breakdown of eligibility requirements and information about consolidating your loan.

It's important to note that there may also be some down sides associated with debt consolidation. When you refinance federal student loans (including subsidized and unsubsidized direct loans, PLUS, Perkins etc.), you replace them with a new private loan. As a result, you'll no longer be eligible to receive any benefits that come with a federal loan. This could mean less flexibility in your loan re-payment structure and losing the option to sign up for an income driven payment plan. You would also lose the option of deferment, forbearance and loan forgiveness offered through the federal government. If you have a lower income and rely on any of these instruments, you may want to reconsider consolidating your federal loans.

Another possible con that's important to address is the interest rates offered to you by financial institutions. Variable rates often appear to be more favorable than fixed rates. This is because if interest rates stay low over the course of your debt pay down, you'll save more money in interest payments. However, if interest rates were to rise over time, you would be stuck paying more than you would have hoped. Not only that, but the increased rate could also cause your monthly payment to increase. This could leave you in a tough financial situation if you weren't able to cover the increased payment101.

Although there may be some down sides associated with consolidating your loan, debt consolidation can be a great way for you to save a substantial amount of money on your student loans. Utilizing the information in this section could save you thousands of dollars over the life of your loan73!

Paying off student loans

Now that you've decided whether or not student loan debt consolidation is right for you, it's time to develop your debt pay off strategy. Paying off your loans will take some time but will be worth it in the end. Let's talk about some simple techniques you can implement to help pay back your student loan debt faster than you ever thought possible. In this next section we'll go through a scenario of a young graduate named Ashley. She has accrued $37,000 of debt while in college and is on a 15 year pay off plan. She was recently hired as graphic designer making $35,000 base along with a $3,000 signing bonus. Let's go through a few of these debt pay down techniques:

Signing bonuses

You know the initial bonus Ashley got from her employer? That bonus is generally designated for any relocation and other expenses associated with moving to a work location. What if Ashley recruits her friends to help her move and eliminates the need to hire movers? What if she decides to sign a lease at an affordable apartment that doesn't require a security deposit? In both of these scenarios, Ashley would save a sizable amount of that signing bonus. The remainder of the bonus can then be deployed to pay down the student debt. Watching your debt balance go down for the first time will get you excited about increasing your efforts to pay it back sooner.

Contributing a little extra every month

If Ashley owes $35,000 at 6.5% and her debt repayment time frame is 15 years, she can expect to pay $304.89 per month. I used this helpful loan calculator to determine her monthly payment. (<http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/college-planning/loan-calculator.aspx>) What if Ashley was able to find an extra $50 per month to put towards paying down her debt? If you really look at your budget and what you spend money on each month, I guarantee that you can find at least $50 to save. Remember that latte you get every morning ($50)? How about that over the top cable package that has channels you don't even watch ($30)? What about that subscription to a magazine you hardly read ($10)?

There are many different ways you can save a few extra dollars each month to put directly towards your payments. If Ashley were to increase her payments by just $50 per month she would be able to reduce the time it takes to pay back her loan by over 3 years. Wouldn't that be nice?

Bi-weekly payments

This is a technique I learned about while reading real estate books. It turns out that by making payments bi-weekly you actually end up making one extra payment at the end of the year. The chart below illustrates how this works:

Imagine being able to pay off your student loans almost 2 years faster without increasing your monthly payment?! That seems like a pretty awesome deal to me.

Raises and bonuses

As you start to learn and perform better in your job, you'll begin to receive bonuses and raises to your salary. Regardless of how much more money you receive per pay period, I highly recommend you allocate the extra funds to paying down your student debt. People tend to spend up to their salary, so by receiving more money per year, your expenses will inevitably go up. You've already become accustomed to living with your old salary so it shouldn't be too much of a burden. Once you begin allocating your extra funds to paying down your student debt, you'll be better able to capitalize on the next pay down method.

Tax refund

Yes, the good old tax refund can be a great tool to take a chunk out of your student loans. Every year, many Americans receive money from the government in the form of a tax refund. Probably one of the only benefits to paying back your student loans is that you can claim the interest paid on your student loans as a tax credit. As part of the "American Opportunity Tax Credit" taxpayers making less than $80,000 gross per year can claim up to $2,500 in credit for interest paid on student loan debt. For more information regarding this credit click the link provided below (<https://www.irs.gov/uac/american-opportunity-tax-credit>). Considering the average salary in the United States is $44,500, most professionals with student debt can claim this credit. If Ashley was able to put a $2,000 refund toward her student loans every year, she would cut her loan payback time by almost 7 years!!

Incorporating the debt pay down strategies

When Ashely incorporated these strategies into her debt pay down plan she was able to significantly reduce the time it took to pay back her loans. I've listed her results below:

Even without including raises and bonuses into the equation, Ashley was able to pay down her loan 8 ½ years sooner (If we include raises and bonuses, we're looking at closer to 10 years sooner). Imagine the peace of mind you'd have once your big bad student loan is finally off your back. Look at the money she was able to save on interest. What would you do with an extra $12,000 in your pocket? Would you buy a new car? Buy a new house? Take a 2-month trip around the world? If you commit to these debt pay down strategies, you could make this scenario a reality for yourself. Now that you've got your student loan pay back strategy in place and have dedicated funds towards paying back your loan, it's time to look into investment opportunities.

## Investments

_"Anyone who is not investing now is missing a tremendous opportunity"_ – Carlos Slim

In this section we'll explore different investment options available to you and some of the pros and cons associated with each of them. Although I've personally invested in many of these options, I'm not a financial consultant and encourage you to seek the advice of a certified financial professional before making any investment decision.

The importance of starting early

As millennials, it can be easy to think that retirement is in the distant future and perceive it as something we don't have worry about until later in life. I'm currently 26 years old and I'll be the first to tell you that 65 feels like a LONG way away. But not only is not investing for the future a short-sighted decision, it's a decision that can cost you BIG in the long run.

Let's look at a scenario of two 25-year-old friends (Sarah and Tiffany) working at the same company with the same salary. Sarah decides to invest $250 per month in a low-cost index fund with an 8% yearly return while Tiffany decides to forgo investing and uses the extra money to go out with friends and enjoy life a little more. Fast forward 15 years and Sarah decides to stop investing in the index fund and allow the power of compounding to be her best friend. At 40 years old, Tiffany sees the error in her youth decides to double down and invest $500 each month until she turns 65. Below I've listed how much Sarah and Tiffany would have at age 65:

Sarah:

_Total Contributions:_ **$45,000**

_Total value of her investments at 65:_ **$578,022.13**

Tiffany:

_Total Contributions:_ **$150,000**

_Total value of her investments at 65:_ **$454,495.48**

As you can see, Sarah would have $123,526.65 more than Tiffany by the time they both turned 65. Not only that but Sarah would have contributed less than a THIRD of what Tiffany had and still come out on top.

As millennials we're in a perfect position to set ourselves up for future financial success. All it takes is consistent effort towards setting aside funds to invest for the future. Now that we understand the importance of starting your investment journey sooner rather than later, let's explore some of the tools you can use to make your financial dreams become a reality.

401k/403b

This is generally the first thing most people think about when discussing investments. A 401k/403b is an employer offered plan consisting of groups of stocks and bonds where you can contribute your "pre-tax" income towards your retirement. This option allows you to defer paying taxes on your contributions ("pre-tax") until you take them out of your fund93. This is extremely beneficial because it allows more of your money to compound over time. To explain the benefits of this tool in greater detail, let's take a look at 2 scenarios. These scenarios both involve a young millennial named Ryan. Ryan is an account executive at a large multinational firm making $50,000 per year. I've laid out each scenario below:

401k/403b Scenario

In the first scenario, Ryan starts off with $10,000 at 25 years old. If he contributes $1,000 per month of his pre-tax income for 40 years at a 7% yearly rate of return he'll have $2,621,286.59 before taxes at the age of 65. If he were to take out the money from his 401k at this age with a tax rate of 28% (tax rate for individuals making less than 190k per year) he would be left with **$1,887,326.35**. Now that's a big chunk of change for Ryan!

Stock Market Scenario

In the second scenario, if Ryan were to invest his $10,000 in the stock market and contribute $720 of his post tax income per month (28% tax bracket) with a 7% yearly rate of return, Ryan will have $1,929,254.82 after 40 years. When he sells off his stocks, the profits will be taxed at the "long-term" capital gains rate. Capital gains tax applies to all gains from investments and not your initial investment. This percentage rate is 15% for individuals making less than $400,000 per year and 20% for those making greater than that94. After all is said and done, Ryan will be left with **$1,693,206.60**. This is still a substantial amount of money but in the first scenario (401k/403b example), Ryan would have been better off.

Employer matching

Earlier in the week, Ryan had been informed by his HR department that the company offered a 6% 401k match to its entire staff. This means that since Ryan makes $50,000 per year and his employer matches 6% of his salary, his first 3,000 dollars in contributions will be matched. If your employer matches your contributions, I STRONGLY encourage you to contribute at least the matching amount. This is FREE money given to you by your employer. If Ryan only contributed $3,000 per year to cover the match, he would still have **$632,859.96** in his retirement account by the time he turned 65. Half of that total would be money directly attributed to contributions made by his employer. In the next section we'll explore 2 different IRA options that, when coupled with the 401k/403b, will allow more of your money to compound over time.

The Roth IRA

A Roth IRA is a financial account that allows you to pay taxes on contributions today and not pay taxes on the gains when you decide to take your money out. This is a great option if you feel that you'll be in a higher tax bracket by the time you retire. Since you're likely to receive raises as you progress through your career, investing in a Roth IRA is a smart investment. Another added benefit of a Roth IRA is that it allows you to access the principal you've invested at any time without penalty. Although I highly recommend not touching your Roth IRA to allow the power of compounding to work its magic, the Roth IRA affords you some financial flexibility in case an emergency arises.

The maximum yearly contribution amount for a Roth IRA is $5,500 for filers under 50 and $6,500 for filers over 50. There are also some income restrictions for individuals and married couples wishing to contribute towards a Roth IRA. For a complete list of income ranges eligible to contribute check out the link provided below:

(<http://www.schwab.com/public/schwab/investing/retirement_and_planning/understanding_iras/roth_ira/contribution_limits>).

If Ryan maxed out his Roth IRA every year until he retired and had a 7% yearly rate of return, he would have an extra **$1,120,424**. **14** in TAX FREE savings. This total coupled with his 401k account would leave him with **$3,007,750.35**. Can you imagine having 3 million dollars in the bank by the time you're 65?

The Traditional IRA

The second IRA option available to investors is the Traditional IRA. One of the unique benefits of a Traditional IRA is that if you qualify for deferment, the Traditional IRA affords you the opportunity to not pay taxes on your contributions today and instead pay taxes when you take out your money in the future. This can be especially beneficial if you can't afford to make the full post-tax contributions to a Roth IRA and qualify for deferment. Being able to contribute more of pre-tax income to this account can allow more of your money to compound over time. As a result, you may experience better returns than utilizing a Roth IRA. Another benefit of contributing to a Traditional IRA is that if you qualify, contributions will be tax deductible. This means that you can deduct your yearly contributions from your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) on your State and Federal taxes104. This could potentially drop you into a lower tax bracket and reduce your tax liability for the year. However, one of the downsides of the Traditional IRA is that you can be penalized for taking out your contributions early. There is a 10% penalty associated with taking out any contributions before the age of 59 ½. This can be a steep price to pay if an emergency arises and you're strapped for cash.

The maximum yearly contribution amount for a Traditional IRA is $5,500 for filers under 50 and $6,500 for filers over 50. There are also some income restrictions for individuals and married couples wishing to contribute towards their Traditional IRA. For a complete list of income ranges eligible to contribute check out the link provided here:

<https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/2017-ira-deduction-limits-effect-of-modified-agi-on-deduction-if-you-are-covered-by-a-retirement-plan-at-work>.

Which IRA should you choose?

Although both options offer substantial benefits to potential investors, each individual situation will dictate whether or not an investor decides to go with a Roth IRA or a Traditional IRA. If you make less than the maximum income limit and can get close to maxing out your account each year, the Roth IRA may offer you a better return on investment over the long run. However, if you make more than the income limit for the Roth IRA or you cannot max out your account and feel as though contributing to a Traditional IRA will lower your tax responsibility each year, the Traditional IRA may be your best bet. There are also many investors out there who choose to initially contribute to a Traditional IRA and eventually switch over to a Roth IRA. For a great article on whether or not to convert your Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA check out the link provided below:

<http://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/040815/converting-traditional-ira-savings-roth-ira.asp>

I personally invest in a Roth IRA and have been maxing out my contributions for the past 3 years. Whichever option you decide on, be sure to commit as much as you can to the account so you can maximize your returns over time.

Putting it into action

After working at your company for a particular time frame, your employer may give you the option to contribute to your 401k/403b. Ask your employer if they offer a match to your contributions and, if so, be sure to set aside at least that amount as your minimum investment. Once you've gathered this information it's time to start contributing. Sit down and see how much you can contribute each paycheck to go towards your retirement account. Usually you can specify a percentage of your pre-tax income or a specific amount each month.

If you can't afford to put much away right now it's OK, but it's important to at least contribute enough to meet your employer match. Finally, ask someone in your HR department to guide you through the process of setting up your contributions. This will help ensure that the setup is done correctly and that you begin contributing immediately.

Once your 401k/403b matching contributions have been set aside, it's time to start contributing to a Roth IRA and/or Traditional IRA. Similar to a 401k/403b, you can select a percentage or amount you want to contribute from each paycheck. If your employer does not offer either IRA option, the links provided below have some great alternative options to get you started.

Roth IRA:  
http://www.schwab.com/public/schwab/investi ng/accounts_products/accounts/ira/roth_ira

Traditional IRA:  
<http://www.schwab.com/public/schwab/investing/accounts_products/accounts/ira/traditional_ira>

Now that you've selected your independent IRA, be sure to set up an automatic transfer from your checking account each month. It's important to periodically check up to see that you are reaching your 401k/403b and IRA contribution goals for the year.

Your retirement is an important life event you need to start planning for. A 401k/403b coupled with a Roth IRA or a Traditional IRA offers you a tremendous opportunity to become financially independent in retirement. The first step to achieving this level of financial independence is to start putting away money in these options right away. Even if it's a small amount to begin with, contribute and allow the power of compounding to be your best friend. Now that you've made your initial investment let's explore how you can use other investment options to diversify your portfolio and solidify your returns over time.

Stocks

Corporations make up much of the publicly traded landscape so it's important to understand what it means to own stock in a company. A stock is a share in ownership of a company. Each stock you own represents a claim on the company's assets and earnings. As you acquire more stock, your ownership stake in the company becomes greater64. So why would you want to own a company's stock? What are some of the benefits?

To start, companies generally issue stocks as a way to incentivize investment in their company. Maybe they're looking to break into a new market or develop a new product. This means that if the company succeeds in its strategic undertaking, your stock value will increase. For example, if you buy 50 shares of Company X at $10 per share and the shares you purchased jump to $20 per share 6 months later, you'll have made around $500 (minus brokerage fees) if you sell your shares.

Another reason why people enjoy buying stocks is because some stocks offer what is called a "dividend" throughout the year. A dividend is a sum of money paid out regularly (typically quarterly) by a company to its shareholders out of its profits/reserves91. This sum varies from company to company and can rise or fall each year depending on the company's performance. For example, if I owned 50 shares of a stock valued at $10 and I receive 2% of the stock's value (yield) in dividends each quarter, I would expect 20 cents per share per quarter in dividends. This would translate to $10 per quarter in pure profit! Although this may not seem like much, you can see how it can get quite lucrative if you reinvest those profits into the company.

Although there are many positives to owning stocks, there are also downsides. Individual stocks tend to be more volatile than a portfolio of stocks and therefore could lose value quickly. If you don't spread your risk amongst many stocks (diversify), you could lose a substantial amount of money. For example, if I invested $500 in Company X and the value of its stock dropped by half, I would have lost $250 of my original investment. As part of a balanced portfolio, stocks can be a great way to increase returns and own a piece of the world economy.

Bonds

Ever wonder how local governments are able to fund massive transportation, commercial and/or educational projects? If this kind of project has happened in your city or town, they probably used bonds to fund some, if not the entire, project. A bond is a debt security, similar to an IOU. Borrowers issue bonds to raise money from investors willing to lend them money for a certain amount of time. When you buy a bond, you're lending money to the issuer. These issuers may be a government, municipality or corporation65. Because of the nature of bonds, they tend to be safer investments than stocks. This is because of the way bond-holders and stock-holders are paid back in a worst-case-scenario. For example, if you lent a company $1,000 in bonded debt, your friend bought $1,000 in shares and the company went bankrupt, you would be first in line to receive your money when the assets were liquidated. Often times in a bankruptcy scenario, people who had bonds received at least some of their money back.

Bonds also offer a steady accrual of interest that is greater than most checking accounts. As of March 2017, 30-year US bonds had a yearly return of 2.95%. Although this may not seem like much, it's significantly higher than the 0.06% average offered by most checking accounts. Bonds have also shown to be resilient through tough economic times. It's not uncommon to see stocks drop by more than 10% in times of economic recession, so if you have all your investments tied up in stocks that could hurt. Diversifying some of your investments into bonds can help you hedge some of the risk tied to stocks.

Now that we've gone over some of the pros of bonds, let's talk about some of the cons. Because bonds offer small, steady returns with more security they tend to offer much lower returns than stocks when the economy is doing well. This means that in times of significant economic activity (bull markets), stock returns leave bond returns in the dust. Another downside is the lack of liquidity in the investment. Bonds often have a certain number of years tied to the investment where you cannot access the money. This lack of liquidity can be problematic if a promising investment opportunity arises and you don't have the funds to invest.

So how much should you invest in bonds? There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on your risk profile and your stage in life. A rule of thumb that's often referenced is to take your age and subtract it from 100. The resulting value is the percentage of your money you would invest in stocks. For example, if you're 25 years old the formula would recommend that you invest 75% in stocks and keep the other 25% in a mix of bonds and cash. Although I tend to be more weighted towards stocks than bonds (80% stocks, 10% bonds, 10% cash) I feel as though this rule has some value. Whatever percentage you decide to invest in bonds, it's important to have something to help you hedge the risk of the stock market. For a list of the top bonds of 2016, check out the link below:

<https://www.thestreet.com/topic/19421/etf-top-ranked-fixed-income.html>

R.E.I.T's

It may not always be a great time for people to pull the trigger on buying real estate. Mortgage prices can get expensive and there are many other costs associated with owning a property. A way to help alleviate some of the risk associated with owning property is buying into a Real Estate Investment Trust (R.E.I.T). An R.E.I.T is a company that owns and finances income producing real estate. Often times, the real estate is spread amongst many areas and includes commercial as well as residential properties.

One of the benefits of owning an R.E.I.T is the recurring income generated from the investment in the form of dividends. Generally, dividends are issued on a quarterly basis and are often higher than most stock options. For example, the Vanguard R.E.I.T ETF has a 3.8% yield which defines how much money an investor will receive from dividends yearly. If you were to invest $10,000 in this R.E.I.T, you would receive $380 each year in dividends! That's not even including the appreciation of your shares of the holdings in the R.E.I.T.

Another awesome benefit of buying into an R.E.I.T is that it doesn't take much money to start investing. Many R.E.I.T's will allow you to invest with just a few thousand dollars. That's often much cheaper than the down payment on a property. Many banks will require you to put 20% down on a property before they will issue a loan. If it's a $200,000 property, that would translate to a $40,000 down payment!

The fact that R.E.I.T's diversify your portfolio of properties is also an added benefit. If you only own one property and that property drops in value, your finances will be greatly affected by it. Since R.E.I.T's spread risk amongst many different residential and commercial properties, if one of the properties in the portfolio drops in value, that asset is just one piece of a big pie and therefore your losses are diminished.

Another reason to buy R.E.I.T's is their ease of trading. If you wanted to buy $10,000 in shares of an R.E.I.T, all you would have to do is send money to your brokerage account and purchase the R.E.I.T. This process would take as little as one day to complete. Selling an R.E.I.T is just as simple. All it takes is for you to issue an order to sell your shares on your brokerage account. After a day or two your money will be available for you to use on other investments. The ability to liquidate your funds simply and effectively is very valuable because it allows you to shift your funds quickly if a great investment opportunity arises.

Along with the pros, there are also some cons to buying R.E.I.T's. Since R.E.I.T's are required by law to issue 90% of their profits as dividends, the growth of the R.E.I.T share price may be slower because only 10% of all profits are reinvested back into the R.E.I.T. Another possible pitfall with R.E.I.T's is the management fees associated with running one. Managers at many R.E.I.T's charge a multitude of fees for running the fund. These fees range from management fees, buying/selling fees as well as other performance related fees. There are R.E.I.T's out there that don't charge as many fees and I recommend going with these options. As we've seen previously, the effects fees can have on your long-term wealth is quite substantial. For a list of some of the best R.E.I.T's on the market today, check out the link provided below:

<http://money.usnews.com/investing/slideshows/the-10-best-reit-etfs-on-the-market?slide>

Index funds

As a concept chartered in 1967 by Richard Allen Beach BSBA, the index fund has become a staple in many investor's portfolios. One of the unique traits of an index fund is the low-management fees associated with running them. In the past, investors only had the option of putting their money into "actively managed" mutual funds where fund managers would actively trade stocks and/or bonds within the fund. Along with the brokerage fees from all the transactions made within the fund, investors also had to pay exorbitant management fees to fund managers. Some of these fees could be as high as 3-4%! Over time, these fees cut into investor profits and significantly damaged future earnings.

Luckily with an index fund, investors can buy into stock and/or bond portfolios that follow a particular index. Examples of these index funds are the Vanguard 500 Index Inv, Schwab® S&P 500 Index and USAA S&P 500 Index Member which all closely follow the S & P 500 index. This means that by investing in these funds, investors can closely mirror the gains and losses of a particular index. Considering that since its inception in 1927 the S&P 500 average yearly return has been 10%, your returns can be quite lucrative. Another benefit to index funds is the extremely low fees associated with running them. Many index funds have "expense ratios" less than 0.25 percent. This means that the index fund provider would only take 0.25 percent of your total returns as a fee. This can add up to BIG savings over time.

Let's look at an example of two 25-year-old professionals investing $25,000 over a 40-year period. In this scenario, Investor #1 decides to invest $25,000 in an actively traded mutual fund with a 3% management fee while Investor #2 invests $25,000 in an S&P 500 index fund with a 0.25% expense ratio. If the funds perform the same and average an 8% return per year, Investor #1 can expect around 5% ROI (Return on Investment) per year and Investor #2 can expect around 7.75%. Below I've provided a chart that shows what effect this slight difference in percentages can have over a 40-year investment period:

_Investor # 1 (Actively Traded Mutual Fund)_ : **$183,960.43**

_Investor #2 (S &P500 Index Fund)_: **$549,444.79**

As you can see, a 2.75% difference in interest accrued year over year cost Investor # 1 big time. His return on investment was less than half of Investor #2 and Investor #1 left **$365,484.36** on the table! Index funds are an awesome tool for you to have in your portfolio and should definitely be the preferred option over actively managed funds.

Setting up your brokerage account

In order to invest in an index fund, stocks and/or bonds you'll either have to set up a brokerage account or open an account with a mutual fund provider. Some of the most popular brokerages include Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade and Fidelity Investments. When choosing a brokerage firm, be sure to research the fees associated with the account. Some brokerage firms require you to have a minimum dollar value in the account or else they'll clip you with maintenance fees. If you're someone who's just starting out and don't have a lot to invest, I don't recommend going with these brokerages. For a comprehensive list of reputable brokerages and a breakdown of their fees check out the link provided below:

<https://topratedfirms.com/brokers/brokerage-firm-reviews.aspx>

Once you've decided on a brokerage to go with, go through the process of opening up a brokerage account. The brokerage will require you to fill out an application form and provide documentation including (but not limited to) your SSN Id card, Driver's license/passport information, employment status and yearly income. When your application is approved, you'll be able to access your brokerage account and begin investing! For an awesome piece on what to expect when you open a brokerage account, check out the link below:

<http://www.finra.org/investors/what-expect-when-you-open-brokerage-account>

I've been using my Charles Schwab brokerage account for the past few years now. The ease of trading and low fees has made my experience with the company very positive. Another awesome perk that comes with having a Charles Schwab brokerage account is the ability to open up a Charles Schwab investor checking account. If you travel a lot and often find yourself taking money out of ATM's that are not covered by your bank, there are usually steep fees associated with your withdrawal. With the Investor checking account, all your ATM fees will be reimbursed to you at the end of each month. No more worrying about getting charged ATM fees! I've provided a link to open a Charles Schwab brokerage account below:

<http://international.schwab.com/public/international/us_investing>

Along with utilizing Charles Schwab as my brokerage account, my favorite individual mutual fund provider is Vanguard. I've been invested in the Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund, Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund and Vanguard REIT Index ETF for a few years now and my average returns on all my investments have been close to 10%. Not bad for just letting my money sit there. I've provided a link to open a Vanguard account below:

<https://investor.vanguard.com/home/>

Congratulations on setting up your first brokerage and/or mutual fund account! In the next section we'll discuss how to develop multiple streams of income so that you can build your wealth faster than you ever thought possible.

## Creating new income streams

_"Never rely on one flow of income!"_ – Grant Cardone

This is the area of my finances that I'm most focused on right now. Although saving definitely helps you most closer to achieving financial independence, growing your income and expanding your income streams is the other part of the formula. You'll reach one million dollars much faster if you have 2 streams of income totaling $85,000 as opposed to 1 stream of $50,000. So how do we go about building and growing other streams of income to increase our earnings?

Freelancing

This is one of the most common ways people can increase their income. Everyone in this world has a skill that the market place values. Whether it's washing cars, mowing lawns, providing graphic design services or writing software programs there are people online looking for your services. In the past, I've utilized UpWork, Fiverr and 99designs to either perform projects for other people and/or provide work for other freelancers. Getting started with any of these sites is easy. You simply create a profile, select a service you'd like to provide and begin bidding on projects that line up with your skill set. When you complete the work, the site will take a small percentage of the project payment. Freelancing can be a great way for you to make a sizeable amount of money on the side. I've provided the links to the previously mentioned sights below:

Upwork: <https://www.upwork.com/>

Fiverr: <https://www.fiverr.com/>

99Designs: <https://99designs.com/>

Blogging

Have you ever wanted to get paid to write about things that interest you? Well starting a blog may be for you. Although it may take some time before you see money coming in from a blog, the exposure you gain and reputation you build using this method cannot be understated. Having a blog where you share insights related to your field of interest will help you establish yourself as an expert in your field. Often times, people will seek out your services and be willing to pay you for your insights. For example, I've had my blog for over a year now and have created a Services page where visitors can view the list of services I provide. As my following has grown, more and more people have inquired about my services (<http://thestrongprofessional.com/services/>). Providing services via your blog is an awesome way to earn extra money but it's not the only way.

Google AdSense is a service provided by Google where you allow Google to display ads on your website. Each time an ad gets viewed or clicked on your website, you receive a small amount of money from Google. The downside to this approach is that it's difficult to make much money using AdSense until you have a lot of website traffic. Having said that, there are quite a few bloggers making THOUSANDS of dollars per month using this service. If you're willing to slowly build an audience and drive traffic to your website, AdSense can offer you an alternative income stream that could become very lucrative. To open up a free account with Google AdSense, check out the link provide below:

Google Adsense:

https://www.google.com/adsense/start/get-started/#/?modal_active=none

Another way to earn money via your blog is by capitalizing on affiliate marketing opportunities. Many businesses have affiliate programs where they offer a fraction of a product's purchase price as a commission to anyone who drives sales of a particular product. For example, if a person is reading a blog post you wrote about "Starting a blog" and they click an affiliate link you posted for hosting services, if they decide to buy from that provider you would receive a fraction of the purchase price as a commission. Often times these percentages range from 5-50%! Unlike AdSense, you only receive monetary compensation if a person buys a product via your affiliate link. However, the leads you drive via an affiliate program can be quite lucrative and result in hefty payouts if the product is valuable. There are many great affiliate programs out there that you can take advantage of. For a comprehensive list of some of the best affiliate programs, check out the link below:

<https://www.authorityhacker.com/best-affiliate-programs/>

Selling products on Amazon

This option has become very popular over the last few years. Amazon is the largest online marketplace in the world and as of August 2017 has over 2 million vendors selling 26 million items online. That's over 306 items per second! In this vast marketplace there are many opportunities for people to make money. To get started, you have to come up with an idea of a product you'd like to sell via Amazon. There are millions of diverse products being sold on Amazon, so in order to stand out in the market place you'll need to find a "niche". Finding a niche refers to a product that targets a specialized group of people in the marketplace. For example, the market for selling high-end wood working tools may only have a small group of enthusiasts but your product can still be lucrative because you can demand a higher price.

One of the best blogs I've found on the subject of building an Amazon business is "My wife quit her job" The free content on this site is more than enough to get you started, and his weekly podcasts always provide useful information. He also offers coursework for people looking for a more in depth look into building an online business. I've provided both links below:

Blog: <http://mywifequitherjob.com/>

Online Course: <http://mywifequitherjob.com/how-to-open-an-online-store/>.

Other options

Although the previous three options can be quite lucrative, there are many other ways you can expand your income. I have quite a few friends who are part-time Uber drivers and they make a decent side income from it. For a list of requirements and to start driving for Uber, check out the link provided below:

Uber: <https://www.uber.com/drive/requirements/>

Another great way to make money on the side is tutoring students. In college I used to provide private math tutoring services to students on campus. In some cases, I was able to charge as much as $25 per hour! If you're an expert in a particular subject, tutoring can be a great way for you to monetize your skills and get some practice refining them. Another way I made money in college was cooking pasta for different student organizations and businesses. One of our biggest events was for over 100 people and we made almost $500 in profit! Get creative and start experimenting with different ways to expand your income. Below I've provided a link to more ideas to get you started on your search. Good luck!

<http://www.sidehustlenation.com/ideas/>

## Reducing Expenses

_"Beware of the little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship"_ – Benjamin Franklin

When talking about finances it's important to understand what your monthly expenses are. People spend money differently and each expense falls into a specific category. In this section we'll cover each expense category and examine how you can use the excess money you have after saving and investing to live an awesome life.

Fixed Costs

What are fixed costs? These are costs that you HAVE to pay each month. Examples of these types of costs include rent/mortgage, utilities, cell phone plans, car payments/transportation costs, health insurance, etc. Because of the nature of these expenses, you must set aside funds to cover these expenses first. Although many of these expenses can't be eliminated, there are ways you can reduce the money you spend on some of these items. For example, if you're driving a brand new car that has a big car payment, consider selling the car and buying a more economical model with a smaller payment. If you rent your place, you may also consider finding a cheaper option. Often times you can find a location and property that fit your unique needs for less than your previous residence. Sit down and evaluate your monthly fixed costs. I'm sure that if you do some digging and get creative you'll be able to free up some cash you can use in other areas of your life.

Variable Costs

Now that we've gone over the concept of fixed costs, let's talk about the "variable costs" associated with your lifestyle. Variable costs are costs that change over time. These expenses include eating out, traveling, intramurals, shopping, etc. With these costs, you have a little more wiggle room as to how you can spend your money. This is where your interests come into play. In the book "I Will Teach You To Be Rich" by Ramit Sethi, Ramit talks a lot about spending money on the things you love while cutting expenses viciously on everything else. This is in stark contrast to the "cut spending on everything" mentality that many financial gurus preach. Penny pinching has its place but I believe you should also enjoy some of the fruits of your labor. So what do you enjoy spending money on? In the next section we'll go through a few of the most popular categories:

Travel

This is one of my top money spending categories. I love to explore new places and experience different cultures around the world. As a result, I set aside money in my budget to be able to partake in these experiences. Although I do enjoy spending money on travelling, I still like to find ways to make my dollars go as far as they can. Let's go over some strategies you can use to travel the world without breaking the bank.

Buying Plane tickets

Plane tickets are often the most important and expensive part of the trip. Being able to find a good price on a plane ticket can mean the difference between experiencing a new place to the fullest and constantly worrying about how much you're spending when you get there. The real question is how far in advance should we book our tickets? According to recent reports from the online travel agency CheapAir and the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), historically the lowest average fares for domestic flights are available between 5-7 weeks before departure74. Although this timeframe applies to domestic flights, booking for international flights is a different story.

According to Kayak's data analytics, the best average price for trips to Asia are found between 9-10 months out, for South America around 6 months out, for Europe between 4-5 months and for Africa around 3 months before departure74. These metrics are for the best AVERAGE price and may not reflect the best priced ticket available for purchase. According to Rick Seany, CEO and co-founder of the online research tool FareCompare, the best timeframe to search for deals on international flights is between 2 – 5 months before departure. Rick suggests doing research ahead of time to get a feel for ticket prices and then signing up for fare comparison tools.

While researching flights online, you'll come across various fare comparison tools. These tools will allow you to compare multiple airlines ticket prices and flight times. Some of the most common and highly rated comparison sites include Google Flights (my favorite of the bunch), Kayak, Fare Compare and Priceline. There are also other useful comparison tools you can download to your smart phone. I personally use the "Hopper" and "Skyscanner" applications which are available for IOS and Android. One of the cool things about the "Hopper" app is that it gives you suggestions on whether or not to book your flight based on the historical data of your selected days of travel. I used this functionality to save myself over $100 on one of my flights in 2016. I've provided the links to the "Hopper" and "Sky Scanner" app below:

Hopper: <https://www.hopper.com/>

Sky Scanner: <https://www.skyscanner.com>

Once you've selected a few flight comparison tools to use, start searching for the flight you want. Remember to use the information discussed previously to maximize your savings on flights. If after using the comparison tools, you feel as though the ticket prices are not quite cheap enough yet, you can set up alerts to your email or smart phone to inform you when prices drop.

When travelling to a high traffic location (e.g. New York, Boston, etc.) I like to check www.skiplagged.com for flights. This website searches for tickets to unpopular destinations that have a layover in your desired destination. The logic is that instead of going on to the final destination, you would arrive at your layover destination and throw away the ticket. Using this method, I've been able to save hundreds of dollars on flights over the course of 2 years. The only downside to this approach is that you cannot check any bags. If you were to check your bags, the airline would send them to your final destination. Although this is the case, I highly recommend using this website as one of your go-to options when booking your flight.

Another savings opportunity to consider is flying out and returning on low traffic days. The cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. You may also consider flying at times when most people don't want to, including flights at dawn, red-eyes (overnight flights) and flights around lunch and dinner time. If you're willing and able to fly out on these days and times, you could save a big chunk of change on your flight. You don't have to fly out on these days in order to experience some savings either. Booking a flight with a departure date of Friday and a return date of Monday may save you a significant amount of money as well.

Travel Credit Cards

One of the ways I've been able to travel as much as I have the past few years is by utilizing credit card reward programs. There are many travel cards out there that offer awesome sign up bonuses that you can take advantage of. Now this is in no way an endorsement to go out and apply for as many travel cards as you can. Applying for a credit card results in a hard inquiry on your credit report which will affect your credit score negatively. If you want to apply for one of these credit cards, it's important to understand this fact. It's also important to note that you should NEVER pay for travel or any other expense using your credit card if you don't have the funds to pay off your credit card at the end of the month. As discussed previously, leaving a balance on your credit card will leave you subject to your credit card's interest rates which can be as high as 28%75! However, if you're responsible about applying for credit cards and paying off your debt each month this can be a great way for you to subsidize your travel abroad. Here are some of the credit cards I've used in the past and some of the benefits associated with them. These rewards are up to date as of August 2017:

Capital One Venture card

The Capital One Venture Card was my first travel credit card and offers some awesome perks to its members. Firstly, when you spend $3,000 in your first 3 months you'll receive a 40,000 point introductory offer that converts to $400 in travel credits. You also receive 2 points for every dollar spent regardless of category. There is a yearly fee of $59 but it's waived for the first year. As a result of using this card for all of 2015, I was able to save $1,100 on a plane ticket to Italy to see my family (Paid $250)! Definitely one of my favorite cards, and I highly recommend it. I've provided the sign-up link below:

<https://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/venture/>

Chase Sapphire Preferred

This was my second travel card and another awesome option for would-be travelers. Unlike the Venture card, Chase Sapphire Preferred members receive 2 points for purchases on travel and restaurants as well as 1 point for each dollar spent on all other purchases. It also carries a $95 yearly fee that is waived for the first year.

Although these terms may seem less favorable than the Venture card, there are some other aspects of the card that make it extremely appealing. When you spend $4,000 in your first 3 months you'll receive 50,000 points which correspond to $500 cash back or $625 if you book your travel through their travel platform! As a result of using this card I was able to accumulate almost $800 in travel credits which I used to subsidize the purchase of 2 tickets to Montreal, Canada from San Juan, Puerto Rico. In the end, I paid $135 out of pocket for the tickets. Now that's a substantial savings! I've provided the sign-up link below:

<https://creditcards.chase.com/credit-cards/chase-sapphire-preferred>

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Also part of the Chase family of travel cards, this card is the big kahuna. Its massive introductory offer of 50,000 points after $4,000 spent in the first 3 months is matched by its equally large yearly membership fee of $450. Although this may seem like a steep price to pay for a credit card, hear me out first. Each point accrued on the card is worth 1.5 points if you purchase tickets via Chase's online portal. That means that the 50,000 point introductory offer could be worth $750 in travel credits! You'll also receive $300 in additional travel credit each year as well as a $100 credit to apply for global entry.

Along with all these perks you'll receive free access to priority pass lounges across the world where you can relax on long layovers. The card also gives 3 points for every dollar spent on travel and restaurants as well as 1 point for every dollar spent on all other categories. If you play your cards right (no pun intended), you could use this card in the first year to receive $1,050 in travel credits! My girlfriend and I are making a big trip to Asia in December 2017 and I used these points to completely pay for 2 one-way tickets to Beijing, China and 2 one-way tickets from Beijing to Bangkok! I'll be wishing you guys a Happy New year 2018 from Bangkok, Thailand! I've provided the sign-up link below:

<https://creditcards.chase.com/a1/sapphire/reserve>

For a list of other great travel credit cards check out the link provided below:

<http://www.thesimpledollar.com/best-travel-credit-card/>

As you can see, some of these cards offer a significant amount of points that you can use to travel. Have you ever wanted to make a big trip to East Asia or Europe? These points could help subsidize or completely pay for your entire trip! Utilize your bonus points wisely and you could experience different places around the world in no time.

Food

Eating out is near the top of the list of highest expenses for most Americans. This is especially true for Millennials who spend an average of 44% of their food dollars ($2,921 annually) on eating out45! Although it's nice to enjoy a meal out with friends from time to time, it can be an expensive habit to maintain. What can you do in order to reduce your outside food expenditures while still enjoying the company of your friends and family?

As discussed in the "Healthy eating habits" section of this book, preparing healthy meals at home can have a significantly positive effect on your health and your wallet. What I often do is prepare a large batch of food on Sundays that I eat throughout the week. It doesn't have to be just one type of food either. On Sundays I like to make Chicken breasts/thighs, fresh caught Atlantic salmon, broccoli, spinach, peppers and brown rice. This gives me a range of foods that I can mix and match during the week if I get bored with one of the combinations.

Now I'm not saying you have to cut your eating out budget entirely. Reducing the amount of times you go out to eat each week and suggesting alternatives can also help you save a significant amount of money. Instead of going to the same old restaurant with your friends for dinner and drinks, offer to host a dinner at your place where you all bring food and cook together. This allows you to interact with your friends while enjoying a delicious home-cooked meal at your place for a fraction of the cost. How about a picnic? I love going out to parks to enjoy a nice meal while taking in the sights and sounds of others around me. This method can also be a great way to save some cash.

Another big expenditure in the food category is coffee. The average American spends just over $1,100 a year satisfying this craving46! This is a significant amount of money considering the fact it's a beverage that could be made at home for pennies. I would suggest that instead of strolling over to Starbucks and spending 3-4 dollars on coffee, use the office coffee or bring your own coffee from home to work. Even if you were to only skip out on going out to buy coffee once or twice a week, it will add up to HUGE savings over the course of the year. This would free up some cash for you to use on travel, entertainment or any of the other spending categories.

Entertainment

Entertainment is a broad category that encompasses all expenditures that provide entertainment. This could range from your large flat screen LED TV to a concert you want to attend with some friends. Because it's such a broad category, your entertainment costs will most likely take up a big chunk of your extra spending money. Prices for different entertainment vary, so it's important to understand what kinds of entertainment you spend money on so you can choose the best approach to save money. Although some expenses such as movie tickets, concert tickets, intramural fees, cable packages and cell phone plans are relatively low costs individually, the sum of all these expenses can add up to BIG money. Finding creative ways to cut costs associated with these smaller expenses can help you save a ton in entertainment expenditures.

One of the best ways to save money is by looking at your cable and cell phone packages. Do you need all the extra channels that balloon your cable bill or would you be OK with just using Netflix? Do you have an expensive cell phone plan with all the bells and whistles that you don't fully utilize? Just reducing/eliminating your cable bill and switching your cell phone service to a cheaper alternative could save you hundreds a month.

Subscription services are also something to examine when cutting costs. These services include magazine/news subscriptions, monthly clothing subscriptions, monthly food/coffee subscriptions, etc. What often happens is that we sign up for these subscriptions and justify keeping them because they only charge us a small fee each month. However, if you add up all these "small" monthly fees over the course of a year you may realize the number you get isn't so small anymore. Cutting out unwanted and unnecessary subscription expenses puts more money back in your pocket and frees up money to be saved or spend elsewhere.

Purchasing big items such as TV's, gaming consoles and entertainment systems requires a little more planning. Before making an impulse buying decision, it's always good to ask yourself if it's something that you really need. If the answer is yes, I suggest that you set aside a little each week in order to cover the expense. This will ensure that you have enough money to cover your purchase without having to put it on your credit card. Purchasing big items on credit is a one-way ticket to financial disaster and should not be considered. Set aside some time this week to go over your entertainment expenses. I'm sure that if you explore how you spend your money, you'll find ways to cut out things that you don't need.

Shopping

Shopping is another broad category that includes purchasing non-food and non-entertainment items such as clothing, jewelry, shoes, etc. Although this category includes many goods that are essential to functioning in everyday life, it can also be a category where people overspend. According to a recent survey administered to over 1,200 millennials, roughly 58% say they "love to shop" compared to 40% of adults overall. Millennials also spend 8% more on apparel than people aged 35-44 and on average spend $75 per online visit and $57 per in-store visit47. This is a substantial amount of money allocated to shopping for clothes and accessories.

There are many different ways you can save on shopping. One of the best ways to do so is to buy good quality clothing once. High quality clothing lasts much longer than cheap clothing and over time will save you more money. You don't have to go to designer stores to find this type of clothing either. Don't be afraid to browse discount stores such as Marshalls, Ross, and others. Often times, you can find the same quality clothing found at other department stores for a fraction of the price. When shopping for shoes, look online for deals on different websites. Zappos, DSW and Amazon provide a wide variety of shoe options and may be having a sale for a pair that you like.

One of the most culpable behaviors associated with excess spending is impulse buying. Have you ever walked into a store for something in particular, browsed the shelves and bought something that you weren't there to buy in the first place? If you answered yes to this question you're not alone. It's estimated that 40% of all money spent on goods and services is a result of impulse buying. According to US Department of Commerce statistics for fiscal year 2010, this 40% equates to 4.2 trillion dollars spent in just the last quarter of the year49! This goes to show how impactful it would be if people were to stop making impulse decisions when making purchases. Next time you find yourself at a clothing store, make sure to stay focused on the item you came there to purchase. By not allowing yourself to fall victim to the impulse buy, you could save hundreds of dollars a year in this category.

Now that you've bought clothing and you're satisfied with your purchase, it's time to maintain the clothing so it lasts longer. One of the biggest expenses related to clothing maintenance is dry cleaning. With the average cost of dry cleaning dress shirts, dresses and 2-piece suits being between $1.50 - $3.00, $7.50 -$10.00 and $7.00-$13.00 respectively, you can see how these costs can start to add up. Although there are articles of clothing that must be dry cleaned, not all clothing falls into this category. Many men's/women's dress shirts can be washed at home for a fraction of the price and the results achieved by this method are almost identical. Read the cleaning instructions provided on the tag of each article of clothing to determine the best way to wash each piece of clothing.

Maintaining your dress shoes and heels can also be a great way to save money. Over time, dress shoes and heels can get scuffed and scratched. Before you go out and buy a new pair, consider buying a shoe shine kit. It's amazing what you can do with a little shoe shine and a brush. I had an older pair of scuffed dress shoes that I made look brand new with a little bit of shoe shine.

## Real estate

_"The best investment on earth is earth"_ – Louis Glickman

Owning a home has been part of the American dream since the beginning of the country. Over time, millions have flocked to the United States in search of opportunity and have been able to make their dream of home ownership a reality. What are the pros and cons of real estate and how can you use real estate holdings as part of your portfolio?

As a homeowner, you're allowed to claim certain tax deductions on your tax return each year. Tax deductions reduce the amount of money you owe to the state/federal government. One such deduction is claiming the mortgage interest on your loan. As long as your total loan amount is less than $1 million you can deduct 100% of your mortgage interest and property taxes! If your loan is over $1 million the IRS may limit your deduction. However, there is one catch, in order to receive this benefit; you'll need to itemize your deductions. This means that on your tax return you would individually claim each of your tax deductions, compare the total to your standard deduction and take the higher of the two. Although this will take a little math on your part, it could save you thousands of dollars per year in tax payments. For a useful article on how to claim this deduction I've provided the link below:

<https://www.thebalance.com/home-mortgage-interest-tax-deduction-3192984>

Home appreciation is another benefit of homeownership. Although the average national housing appreciation rate is almost identical to the inflation rate (about 3% per year), local appreciation rates can be much more compelling. For example, the average yearly housing appreciation rate in Austin over the past 20 years has been 8.92% (5.1% annualize) 59. This means that if you bought a $100,000 home in 1987, it would be worth around $204,000 today. That's over double its previous value!!!

Another benefit to buying real estate is the cash flow and equity you can accumulate by renting out the property. As your tenants pay their rent, you can use that money to pay down your mortgage and build equity in the property. Over time, you'll own more and more of the property without having to directly pay for it yourself! Also, if you do the proper research and buy a property that can cash flow positively each month, you can use the excess funds to invest in other properties and/or investments.

Understanding the cons of buying a home is just as important as understanding the benefits. Buying a home with a mortgage can lock you in one spot for a long period of time. If you have a job that moves you a lot or you like to change cities every few years, this can cause quite a big headache to plan for. Also, when buying a home, the bank may require you to put down a substantial down payment on a property before they issue the loan. Some banks may require you to put as much as 25% down on the property. If the property is $200,000, you'd have to put down $50,000! This is a big chunk of change.

Another downside to consider is that you could also lose money on the property. During the 2008-2009 housing crash, houses in some areas of the country (in particular Las Vegas) lost almost 65% of their value77! If you were to have bought a property with a big mortgage prior to this economic meltdown, you could have been severely "underwater" on your loan. What does "underwater" mean? This term refers to owing more on your house than it is actually worth. If you were in dire straits and had to sell the house, you wouldn't be able to recoup enough money to cover your debt and would still owe a significant amount of money to the bank.

Buying a property is a big commitment and requires an in depth look at your finances and long-term goals. In the "Finances" section of the book I've provided some helpful resources to get you started on your journey to buying your first property. Use these resources to educate yourself on the process and you could save yourself thousands of dollars over the course of your loan.

Programs for first time home buyers

As a first time home buyer, the process can be very confusing and the prospect of spending a substantial amount of money on a home can be intimidating. Often times, younger people feel as though they can't afford a home if they go the traditional route because they don't have enough money for a down payment and/or they have limited credit history. Although these may be hindrances for many financial institutions, there are programs that help first time home buyers get funding for a home. Below I've provided some of the most common options:

FHA loan

This is the go-to program for many Americans and especially first-time homebuyers. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) guarantees a portion of your home loans, which frees lenders to broaden their acceptance standards. With the backing of FHA, borrowers can qualify for loans with as little as 3.5% down58.

Although FHA loans do offer substantial benefits to recipients, they also have an up-front and ongoing additional cost built-in in the form of mortgage premiums. These premiums protect the banks against losses if you were to default on your loan. You can search for a list of FHA lenders near you by visiting www.HUD.gov.

VA Loan

If you're a service member, veteran or a surviving spouse you can qualify for a VA Loan. Unlike the FHA loan, VA loans often require no down payment and don't have mortgage insurance tied to them. Although the financial benefits offered by these loans are substantial, so are the wait times for approval. The VA loan process is notorious for being long and time-consuming. Knowing this going into the process will help you plan ahead prior to making an offer on a home. I've provided the link to VA loan website below:

<http://www.benefits.va.gov/HomeLoans/>

USDA

This option may come as a surprise to you. The US Department of Agriculture has a homebuyer's assistance program that helps fund homes bought in rural areas. Often times, the financing on these homes can be as high as 100% of the purchase price! However, there are income limitations on who can apply for these loans. For a list of income limitations by region, check out this helpful PDF:

<https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/RD-GRHLimitMap.pdf>

Saving for a down payment

Regardless of whether or not you qualify for a first time homebuyer program, your approach to saving for your down payment will be the same. As discussed at the beginning of the "Finances" section, you'll need to evaluate how much money you can afford to put aside each month for your down payment. You would then set up a monthly automated withdrawal from your checking account to your savings. Your savings time-length will vary depending on the cost of the property and what terms you can get on your loan. Although it may take a while before you have enough money saved to buy your first property, just know that you've taken the necessary steps to set you up for success and you're well on your way to making your first purchase!

Action Items

Saving

1) Open up a savings account.

2) Determine how much you can afford to save each month.

3) Create an automatic monthly transfer from your checking account to your savings account.

Eliminating Debt

4) Identify your "Top Priority" credit card and begin paying it off immediately. Make minimum payments on all other credit cards. Repeat this cycle until all your credit cards are paid off.

5) Explore the various student loan consolidation options highlighted in this chapter and determine if any are a good fit for you.

6) Commit to incorporating at least 2 of the student loan pay down strategies over the next 3 months.

Investments

7) If your employer offers a 401k, enroll in the plan.

  1. Ask if they offer a match and if so commit to contributing at least that amount.

8) Research and select an IRA to invest in. (Roth IRA and/or Traditional IRA).

  1. Set up a monthly automatic transfer from your checking account to fund your IRA.

9) Explore the option of adding index funds, bonds, stocks and R.E.I.T's to your investment portfolio.

Generating new income

10) Choose and commit to an income generating idea that will help generate an extra $200 per month (~$7 a day) in income for the next 3 months.

Reducing expenses

11) Sit down and determine your fixed costs.

  1. Look for ways to reduce your fixed expenses by at least $50 per month.

12) As for your variable costs, define the top 1-2 things you love spending money on.

  1. Use the strategies discussed in this section to cut costs everywhere else.

Real estate

13) Utilize the various resources available to you in this book to educate yourself on real estate investments.

14) If you determine that you'd like to pursue real estate as an investment option, begin setting aside money each month for a down payment.

# Conclusion

Well, that's all folks. This book has been a culmination of 12 months of research, practice and filtering through information to create a powerful guide that millennials can use to succeed in their day-to-day lives. By following the principles laid out in this book, I've been able to develop positive habits and systems that will serve me well for the rest of my life. My hope is that with this book as your guide, you, too, can achieve similar results. Now that you have the proper tools in hand, it's your job to go out and take action.

The great Mohandas Gandhi often said, "Action expresses priorities." Only through deliberate action can you take the difficult but necessary steps towards making significant positive changes in your life. Don't be discouraged if implementing these changes is difficult at first. Just know that with perseverance and resiliency you can accomplish any goal you set your mind to. This is an ever-evolving text and if you have some insight you feel would benefit our readers, please reach out and share. If you'd like to receive FREE bonus content, click on the link provided here: https://mailchi.mp/370ea553ecc1/free-morning-checklist. Along with your subscription, you'll receive awesome actionable content each month and will be kept up to date on future product releases.

Whether you need words of encouragement or just want to share your success stories please reach out to me via email at recollaz@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you and am excited for your future successes!

*****

Note from the Author: Reviews are gold to authors! If you've enjoyed this book, would you consider rating it and reviewing it on https://amzn.to/2OngnbQ?

*****

Booking Raphael Collazo to speak at your next event!

When it comes to choosing a professional speaker for your next event, you'll find no one more respected or successful—no one who will leave your audience or colleagues more empowered—than Raphael Collazo, one of the most gifted speakers of our generation. Since 2014, Raphael has delivered speeches to thousands of high school students, university students and professionals across America and abroad.

Whether your audience is 10 or 10,000, in North America or abroad, Raphael Collazo can deliver a customized message of inspiration for your meeting or conference. Raphael understands your audience doesn't want to be "lectured", but is rather interested in hearing stories of inspiration, achievement, and real-life individuals reaching their goals.

As a result, Raphael Collazo's speaking philosophy is to humor, entertain, and inspire your audience with passion and stories proven to help people achieve extraordinary results. If you're looking for a memorable speaker who will leave your audience wanting more, book Raphael Collazo today! To see a highlight video of Raphael Collazo and find out whether he's available for your next meeting, visit his website provided below. Then contact him by phone or email to schedule a complimentary pre-speech phone interview:

www.raphaelcollazo.com/speaking

recollaz@gmail.com

Mobile: 520-456-4679

Hiring Raphael Collazo as your coach!

Do you feel as though you're falling behind in certain areas of your life? Do you have big dreams and aspirations but lack the guidance and accountability to get you there? Do you feel as though you're falling short of reaching your full potential? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then hiring a coach may be a great option for you! The improvements you can experience working with a coach are well documented and were a focal point of this book.

Raphael Collazo is a Millennial coach, professional keynote speaker, and author who has sold thousands of books and spoken to thousands of students and professionals across the United States and abroad. He's helped many Millennials achieve their goals through his unique coaching style. His honest yet supportive approach makes for a positive learning experience and supports the overall development of his clients. He'll also work with you to design a custom coaching plan that fits your schedule and unique needs while holding you accountable to execute it. Through his one-on-one coaching calls, unlimited email and text access, and his proprietary coaching content, you'll reach your goals faster than you ever thought possible!

For more information, visit the website provided below and then text him your name, time zone, and the best time to redeem your 30-60 minute, no-obligation coaching consultation by phone or Skype.

www.raphaelcollazo.com/coaching

recollaz@gmail.com

Mobile: 520-456-4679

# Resources

Welcome to "The Millennial Playbook" resources section. In this section I've provided some helpful resources related to the five principles discussed in this book. Also, be sure to like, share and follow us on social media and stop by the blog to check out more awesome free content:

Website: <https://www.raphaelcollazo.com/>

Blog: <http://thestrongprofessional.com/>

Facebook: <https://www.facebook.com/thestrongprofessional/>

LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelcollazo/>

Pinterest: <https://www.pinterest.com/recollaz/>

Twitter: <https://twitter.com/thestrongprof>

I also provide an array of consulting services related to the topics discussed in this book and am available for hire as a speaker. Below I've provided the links to my "Services" page and "Speaking" page:

Services: <http://thestrongprofessional.com/services/>

Speaking: <https://www.raphaelcollazo.com/speaking>

## Personal development

Finding the time to dedicate to your personal development each day can be life-changing in the long run. Below I've provided some of my favorite morning routines and other resources you can use to maximize your personal improvement each and every day.

Weekly morning exercise routine

In early May 2016, I began incorporating a light exercise session into my morning routine. It really doesn't take much to get the benefits of morning exercise. My session usually lasts for between 10-15 minutes and I feel great afterwards. Below I've provided a weekly workout routine that I used from November 2016 – January 2017. Try it out for yourself and I bet you'll start to see some benefits as well.

Monday: (3 sets)

100 jumping jacks

25 push ups

30 seconds of air boxing

30 leg lifts

Tuesday: (3 sets)

100 jumping jacks

25 couch dips

12 lunges (each leg)

50 bicycle kicks

Wednesday: (3 sets)

100 jumping jacks

25 squats

20 elevated push ups

30 seconds of butterfly kicks

Thursday: (3 sets)

100 jumping jacks

Wall sits (45 seconds)

Planks (45 seconds)

12 step ups (each leg)

Friday: (3 sets)

100 jumping jacks

25 push ups

30 sit ups

25 couch dips

You can use different variations of this workout routine in future sessions. By performing these exercises, you'll be well on your way to achieving a healthy lifestyle.

Growth focused organizations

As discussed in the "Personal development" section of the book, joining a growth focused organization can be a great way for you to improve your skills and expand your network. I've been a part of Toastmasters for over 8 months and I already feel more confident as a public speaker. Below I've provided a list of some of the most popular growth focused organizations. Also, do some research on your own to see if there are any of these organization in your area. Once you find one that piques your interest commit to attending their meetings regularly. The improvement you can achieve within a short period of time can be life changing:

**Public speaking** : Toastmasters

**Professional** : Society of Professional Hispanic Engineers, Society of Women Engineers, American Management Association, American Business Women's Association, Business Professionals of America, American Marketing Association etc.

(For a list of more professional organization check out the link provided here: <https://jobstars.com/professional-associations-organizations/>)

**Sales:** National Association of Sales Professionals, The Sales Association, The Sales Management Association and the American Association of Inside Sales Professions.

Personal development services

If you'd like me to help you develop a morning routine tailored to your goals and schedule, help you define your yearly goals and metrics or would like help implementing any of the other techniques discussed in this section I'd love to work with you. Contact me via my email address:

raphael.collazo@thestrongprofessional.com with the subject "Personal development services" for pricing.

Personal development books:

Below I've listed some of my favorite books on the topic of personal development. I highly recommend each book and would love to get your feedback on the content:

"The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg

Have you ever wanted to change a bad habit or implement a good one? In this book Charles Duhigg gives you a blueprint for doing just that. This is an awesome book with a substantial amount of examples of how good habits are formed and bad habits are broken. I've used the techniques discussed in this book to implement new beneficial habits into my life and eliminate one of my bad habits. This is an unbelievable book with life-changing content. I've provided the link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business-ebook/dp/B0055PGUYU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497002273&sr=8-1&keywords=the+power+of+habit

"The Compound Effect" by Darren Hardy

This was one of the books that changed the way I viewed personal development. In the book, Darren Hardy (success coach) talks about how daily small positive actions performed over a long period of time add up to BIG results. He uses various examples to drive home the concept and recommends different routines to get you started on your personal development journey. It's one of my favorites and it's 100% worth the read. I've provided a link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/Compound-Effect-Darren-Hardy-ebook/dp/B005P1YCNK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497002580&sr=8-1&keywords=the+compound+effect

"Be Obsessed or be Average" by Grant Cardone

Has anyone ever called you "obsessed" with what you're doing? Well according to Grant Cardone you may be on the right track. In the book, Grant discusses how giving into your obsessions is the only way to succeed in this ultra-competitive world. He talks about how to face opposition from strangers and the ones you love and how to fight through mediocrity to achieve greatness. This book was extremely insightful and changed my perspective on how I view what I do day to day. I've provided a link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/Be-Obsessed-Average-Grant-Cardone-ebook/dp/B016VRFTR4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497002689&sr=8-1&keywords=be+obsessed+or+be+average

"The Miracle Morning" by Hal Ellrod

The majority of the most successful people in the world today have a scripted morning routine. In the book, Hal Ellrod describes how he rose from a very dark time in his life to one of the top sales professionals in his industry by utilizing a morning routine. I love this book because Hal gives you step by step instructions on what you should incorporate into your mornings and the benefits associated with each routine. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to establish a more concrete morning ritual. I've provided a link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+miracle+morning

## Professional development

Over the course of our lifetime we'll spend more than a 1/3 or our waking hours at work! As a result, it's extremely important that we maximize our potential and fulfillment at work. In this section I share examples, strategies and tips you can use to land your dream job, improve various areas of your professional life, and I provide resources you can reference to gather more information on the subject of professional development.

S.T.A.R technique examples

Developing a S.T.A.R technique answer can be difficult so it's important you take your time crafting a compelling answer. Below I've listed a few great answers to the question "Tell me about a time where you faced adversity and how you overcame it?" Use the structure of these answers to build your repertoire of responses to behavioral questions.

Engineering position:

As part of my senior design project, we were tasked with designing a solar car that needed to navigate a maze created by the professor. During the initial phase of the project there was miscommunication related to who was responsible for each section of the solar car. I took it upon myself to coordinate the project and assigned different sections to each of the project members. Throughout the process I made sure to follow up with each team member to ensure that they had the proper support and that we were on track to meet our deadline. I also scheduled bi-weekly follow-ups with everyone on the team to ensure that we were maintaining a high level of quality. When our project was finally complete, we presented our new solar car to the class and won 1st prize in the class competition.

Sales position:

As an account executive at my previous internship, I was responsible for building new relationships with prospective clients as well as maintaining relationships with existing ones. I remember one instance in particular where I used my negotiation skills to close a large deal for my previous employer. This particular customer was a large manufacturing company on the east coast. I first called the company headquarters and asked to speak with the Vice President of Operations. I was told that the VP of Operations was too busy to take my call but I decided to persevere. Eventually, I got through to him and explained the benefits of our product. He was impressed with what I had to say and invited me to his office later that week to pitch our service to his executive team. When the day arrived to give my pitch, I brought enthusiasm and passion to my presentation. He was impressed with what I showed him and as a result signed a $500,000 contract over 5 years. He later told me that the enthusiasm that I had for the service was one of the reasons he decided to go with us and that he was glad that he did.

Analyst position:

As a tutor at the business school tutoring center I was responsible for helping students solve problems related to various subjects. I remember one instance in particular where I was helping a student with a difficult statistics problem. The problem required the use of 2 formulas and a significant amount analytical work to solve. We were able to model the data using excel and we eventually came up with a solution to the problem. The student came back a few days later to thank me for my help and informed that he got an A on his mid-term. In this instance and many others like it, I was able to use my analytical skills to conceptually understand a difficult problem and simplify it into smaller parts so that students could understand and work to find the solution.

Prepping for your interview

I know the stress that comes along with preparing for an interview with a prospective employer. The constant thinking about how the scenario will turn out is enough to make anyone's head spin. Below I've provided a list of some of the most common behavioral questions you may be asked in your next interview. Practice each one a few times so you'll be prepared for anything the interviewer may throw at you. Review the questions and come up with answers using the S.T.A.R technique discussed previously.

<http://recruitloop.com/blog/behavioural-interview-questions/>

Professional development services

If you need help preparing for your next interview, designing your LinkedIn page, developing your LinkedIn strategy, crafting a compelling ASK for your next wage negotiation or would like help implementing any of the other techniques discussed in this section, I'd love to work with you. Contact me via my email: recollaz@gmail.com with the subject "Professional development services" for pricing.

Professional development books:

Below I've listed some of my favorite books related to the subject of "Professional development". I highly recommend each book and would love to get your feedback on the content:

"Winning" by Jack Welch

From 1981-2001, Jack Welch (CEO of General Electric) was responsible for turning around the fledgling manufacturing company and molding it into one of the most dominant in the US economy. During his 20-year stint at the head of GE, the company experienced a 4,000% growth and came to be recognized as one of the top producers of leadership talent in the world. In the book, Jack shares his insights on management and how you can apply his "winning" strategies to advance your career. This book is one of the best ever written on the subject of management and career advancement, and is definitely worth the read. I've provided a link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Ultimate-Business-How-Book-ebook/dp/B000FCK3GO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497004814&sr=8-1&keywords=Winning

"Lean In" by Sheryl Sandberg

Being a woman in business is difficult to say the least. The double standard perpetuated in most work places makes it hard for women to project themselves as competent managers and leaders. In the book, Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, documents her struggles as she navigated the corporate rungs at McKinsey, the US Department of the Treasury, Google and eventually Facebook. Her superb writing style allows readers to live her struggles as if they were their own. The lessons she provides to her readers are extremely valuable and I highly recommend this book to anyone male or female looking to improve as a leader. I've provided a link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Women-Work-Will-Lead/dp/0385349947/ref=zg_bs_11332_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=59KGXEVVVH40TSAZ8XXE

"Good to Great" by Jim Collins

This book took Jim Collins almost a decade to write. During this time, he complied an exorbitant amount of data via business metrics, interviews and surveys to analyze the question "What are the factors that cause a company to transform from a GOOD company to a GREAT one?" In the book, Jim Collins goes through some of the key metrics each of the GREAT companies exhibited to maintain their excellent results and how you can use their example to create and grow a GREAT company of your own. This book is often referenced as one of the top business books of all-time and is required reading for anyone looking to build and grow an uber-successful business. I've provided a link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others-ebook/dp/B0058DRUV6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497004898&sr=8-1&keywords=good+to+great

"Work Rules! Insights from inside Google that will change the way you live and lead" by Laszlo Bock

Lazslo Bock, the former Google Senior VP of People Operations, is known for his leadership ability and being one of the top HR professionals in the world. In the book, Lazslo reflects on lessons he learned from more than a decade at the helm of Google's People Operations division. I found this book extremely insightful and believe you can apply the lessons discussed in this book to your professional and personal life. I've provided a link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/Work-Rules-Insights-Inside-Transform-ebook/dp/B00MEMMVB8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497004955&sr=8-1&keywords=work+rules%21

"The One Thing" by Jim Papasan and Gary Keller

Ever wonder why Tiger Woods is so good at golf and professional violinists can strum the chords like no one else? In the book, Jim Papasan and Gary Keller explore the science behind learning skills and how you can apply them in your everyday life. One of the main insights in this book is to choose a skill set to develop and stick to that one thing. I found the book extremely insightful and I highly recommend it. I've provided a link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/ONE-Thing-Surprisingly-Extraordinary-Results-ebook/dp/B00C1BHQXK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497005095&sr=8-1&keywords=the+one+thing

## Healthy eating habits

Maintaining a healthy diet is one of the most important parts of living a balanced and fulfilling life. In this section I share some recipes, strategies and resources I've used in the past to maintain my healthy eating habits and achieve my weight loss goals.

**"Is it Healthy?"** **Questionnaire**

These are some of the best questions to ask yourself when deciding to keep or get rid of food and/or drinks in your house:

1) How will this food/drink make me feel in an hour?

  1. Is that how I'd LIKE to feel in an hour?

2) Is this food going to get me closer to reaching my fitness goals?

3) Is one of the first 5 ingredients sugar or a variation of it (e.g. Sucrose, fructose, sugar alcohol, etc.)

4) Can you read half of the ingredients?

  1. Do the names sound like chemical compounds?

5) If it's meat, is it grass-fed, free range and/or predator-friendly?

6) If it's vegetables, are they organic and pesticide free?

7) Is the food/drink filled with empty calories that don't provide much in the way of nutrition? (ex. Chips, soda, candy, etc.)

8) Is it an item that you feel confident you won't over-indulge in? (applies to all foods/drinks except leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables)

Healthy recipes

Now that you've gotten rid of all the unhealthy foods and drinks in your home, it's time to learn how to cook delicious healthy recipes you'll love. In this section I'll provide you with some healthy recipes that I use on a weekly basis to maintain a lean physique and support my work out routine. These recipes may not satisfy everyone, so feel free to substitute, add and/or remove any of the ingredients listed. Just remember to follow the healthy eating standards when incorporating new ingredients.

Breakfast options:

Following the research discussed in the "Healthy eating habits" section of this book, I like to eat a high protein and high fiber breakfast each morning before work. My breakfast usually consists of 2 hardboiled eggs (26 g of protein) as well as an apple (2.4 g of fiber) and oatmeal with a bit of honey (2.2 g of fiber and 6 g of protein). With this meal I'm generally full for the entire morning and don't get hungry until around noon. Below I've listed some other easy to make delicious high-fiber/high-protein breakfast options that I've tried in the past:

Ezekiel bread w/ almond butter and bananas

Ingredients:

1) 1 banana

2) 2 slices of Ezekiel bread

3) Organic almond butter

Prep:

1) Toast the 2 slices of Ezekiel bread to your desired consistency.

2) Spread the almond butter on each piece of toast

3) Cut bananas into bite size pieces and place them on top of the bread

4) Enjoy!

Greek yogurt parfait

Ingredients:

1) 1 cup of plain Greek Yogurt

2) Your choice of fresh fruit, nuts, seeds and/or granola

Prep:

1) Open your cup of Greek Yogurt and place the yogurt into a bowl

2) Cut up your desired ingredients into bit-size pieces and add them to your yogurt

3) Stir and enjoy!

Breakfast tortillas

Ingredients:

1) 2-3 eggs

2) Avocados

3) Salsa

4) Salt and pepper

5) 2 whole wheat tortillas

6) Chives

7) _Optional:_ Your choice of organic meat (Ground beef, sausage, etc.)

Prep:

1) Crack the eggs into a bowl and stir until all the eggs are blended together.

2) Cut avocados into bit-size pieces and lay them off to the side.

3) Toast the tortillas for 45 seconds to give them a nice, crispy exterior.

4) Chop the chives into fine pieces.

Cooking:

1) Place a pan on the stove at medium heat and drizzle the pan with olive oil. Add the eggs to the pan and begin stirring until eggs begin to solidify.

2) Once the eggs are done, spread the eggs on the tortillas and add the avocados, salsa and chives.

3) Season the tortillas with salt and pepper and enjoy

For more healthy morning recipes check out the link provided here:

<http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20692801,00.html>

Prepping meals for the week

Sunday is usually my prep day. I love cooking on Sundays because I can start the week not having to worry about cooking meals. I often cook enough for 3-4 days of lunch and dinner meals. The following recipes are what I enjoy cooking:

Sautéed chicken thighs with brown rice, spinach, peppers and guacamole

Ingredients:

1) 2-3 pounds of organic chicken thighs (Costco brand)

2) 2 cups of brown rice

3) ½ pound of spinach leaves

4) 3 whole red, yellow and/or green peppers

5) 3 whole avocados

6) ½ lemon or 2 table spoons of lemon juice

7) Salt, pepper and other seasonings

Prep:

1) Remove the chicken thighs from the package and place them into a bowl. Add salt and pepper and toss around the chicken thighs to coat each side of the thighs.

2) Measure 2 cups of brown rice and place the contents in a pot. Measure out and add 3 ½ cups – 4 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil and let the rice absorb the water. (35-45 minutes)

3) Chop the bell peppers into small bite-size pieces and place them in a bowl. Add seasonings and toss around peppers to evenly coat their surface.

4) Remove the avocado skins and place the avocados in a bowl. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper and use the back of a spoon to mash the avocados.

Cooking

Chicken

  * To cook the chicken, place a pan on the stove, add olive oil and set the temperature to between low and medium heat. Once the oil has had time to heat up (2-3 min) place the chicken thighs in the pan. Once the chicken thighs are in the pan put on the lid and let them simmer for 7-8 minutes. Once this is done, flip each chicken thigh over and repeat. At this point the chicken thighs should be close to done so you'll need to cut open one of the thighs to see if there's any pink left. If so, continue cooking for another few minutes and then check again. Finally, remove the pan from the heat and let it sit, covered, off to the side.

Spinach

  * There are two ways you can enjoy your spinach. The first is raw with a little bit of olive oil and vinegar. The other way is to Sautee it with a little bit of olive oil and garlic. When cooking spinach, it's important not to over expose it to heat. Spinach is very delicate and doesn't require too much time to cook. To start, pour 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of garlic into a pan and turn up the heat to between a low and medium temperature. Place the spinach in the pan and add salt and pepper for seasonings. Continue stirring the spinach for 2-3 minutes and take it off the heat.

Bell peppers

  * Bell peppers are a staple in most of my meals. To start, set the temperature of the stove to between low and medium heat, place a pan on the stove and add 2 -3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Once the olive oil consistency becomes more fluid, you can then add the peppers to the pan. Take the peppers you recently prepped and seasoned and place them into the pan. Stir the peppers for 10 seconds then cover the pan and let the peppers sit for 1-2 minutes. Repeat this step until the peppers are at your desired consistency.

Once everything is complete, plate, serve and enjoy!

Sautéed salmon with quinoa, broccoli, peppers and guacamole

Ingredients:

1) 4-5 filets of Atlantic salmon (Costco brand)

2) 2 cups of quinoa

3) ½ a pound of fresh broccoli

4) 3 whole red, yellow and/or green peppers

5) 3 whole avocados

6) ½ lemon or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

7) Salt, pepper and other seasonings

Prep:

1) Remove each salmon filet from its package and place them on a plate. Add salt and pepper to each side of the filets.

2) Measure 2 cups of quinoa and add it in a pot. Measure out 3 ½ – 4 cups of water and add it to the pot. Bring water to a boil and let the quinoa absorb the water. (15-20 minutes)

3) Chop peppers into small bit-size pieces and place them in a bowl. Add seasonings and toss around peppers to evenly coat their surface.

4) Remove the avocado skins and place the avocados in a bowl. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper and use the back of a spoon to mash the avocados.

Cooking

Salmon

  * To cook the salmon, place a pan on the stove at low to medium temperature. Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and let the olive oil heat up a bit. Once the olive oil has a more fluid consistency, add the salmon to the pan and cover it. Allow the salmon to cook for 4-5 minutes and then flip each filet over. Cover the pan and let the filets cook for another 4-5 minutes. At this point you'll cut one of the thicker filets and look at the color inside the filet. If it's still too pink, repeat the first step but instead cook 1-2 minutes on each side. Once the salmon filets are cooked remove them from the heat and let them sit in the covered pan on the side of your working area.

Broccoli

  * There are two ways you can enjoy your broccoli. One is eating the broccoli raw and the other is cooking it. I use the Costco brand of organic broccoli so all I have to do is toss ½ pound of it into the microwave. Although this may not seem as healthy as cooking them on a stove, it's actually been shown that microwaving vegetables is the best form of cooking because it keeps more of the vitamins in the vegetable83. Once you remove the broccoli from the microwave you may add seasonings. Just try to avoid using ranch, Italian dressing and other unhealthy dressings as they tend to have a lot of added sugars and empty calories.

Bell peppers

  * As explained in the previous recipe, bell peppers are a staple in most of my meals. To start, set the temperature of the stove to between low and medium heat, place a pan on the stove and add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Once the olive oil consistency becomes more fluid, you can add the peppers to the pan. Stir the peppers for 10 seconds then cover the pan and let the peppers sit for 1-2 minutes. Repeat this step until the peppers are at your desired consistency.

Once everything is complete, plate, serve and enjoy!

Although both the recipes I've suggested include meat, I've also provided you with a link to some awesome vegan bulk cooking recipes that you can take advantage of:

<http://theminimalistvegan.com/healthy-vegan-bulk-cooking-recipes/>

Snacks

One of the many challenges of maintaining a healthy diet is snacking. Below I've listed some of the snacking options that I enjoy and explain how they've helped me achieve my weight loss and strength goals.

Almonds

As a quick and easy source of protein and fiber, almonds rank near the top of my list of favorite snacks. The protein and fiber content in almonds reduce my hunger cravings and help me get through to my next meal. Although this snack is a delicious and healthy alternative to most other snacks, you do need to be cognizant about how much of it you eat. Almonds are extremely calorie dense (823 calories per cup!) so it's important that you eat a limited amount at a time. Grabbing a handful of almonds is a great way to eliminate your hunger pangs while still getting a solid amount of nutrients in the process.

Almond butter and jam sandwich with Ezekiel bread

Who doesn't love a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich?! Instead of using generic ingredients, I use healthy organic ingredients to create this delicious snack. I buy organic almond butter at Costco and an organic jelly from my local supermarket. These ingredients don't have added sugars and are favorable to more generic brands like Jiffy and Smuckers. I also use Ezekiel bread which is bread made from "sprouted seeds". The process of seeds sprouting releases a host of healthy vitamins and minerals while making the bread easier to digest. I usually toast my bread, add almond butter to one side, jelly to other and slap them together. Enjoy this healthy protein packed snack next time you're feeling hungry in-between meals.

Fruits

Many fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals and are also a great source of fiber. The benefits of eating fruits regularly are that they help support a healthy gut and the fiber in them will help you stay fuller longer. You can even mix fruits with other foods such as nuts to create a colorful and healthy snack. Some of my favorite fruits include apples, berries, mangos, pears and oranges. Try one of these options today and enjoy your all natural delicious treat.

Celery sticks/Carrots and hummus

This is a new option that I've decided to try out recently. I often find myself wanting something crunchy throughout the day and have found that celery stalks and carrot sticks are a healthy alternative to chips. When you throw hummus into the mix, it really becomes an enjoyable snack. I usually buy hummus at my local grocery store but there are several delicious hummus recipes online if you wish to make it yourself. I've provided a link to one below:

http://www.inspiredtaste.net/15938/easy-and-smooth-hummus

recipe/

Healthy eating services

If you need help designing a weekly meal plan or would like help implementing any of the other techniques discussed in this section, I'd love to work with you. Contact me via my email address:

raphael.collazo@thestrongprofessional.com with the subject "Healthy eating services" for pricing.

Healthy eating books:

Below I've listed some of my favorite books related to the topic of "Healthy Eating". I highly recommend each book and would love to hear your feedback on the content:

"Eat fat get thin" by Dr. Mark Hyman

This book really changed the way I viewed fat in foods. Dr. Mark Hyman is the Director of the Cleveland Clinical Center for Functional Medicine and in the book he breaks down the myth surrounding fats. He explains and scientifically backs up his claim that healthy fats such as fats found in nuts, avocados, olive oil, etc., have a positive impact on weight loss and overall health. Ever since incorporating his recommendations into my diet, I've lost excess weight, built more lean muscle and my energy levels have never been better. This is an awesome book with powerful strategies and I highly recommend it. I've provided a link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Fat-Get-Thin-Sustained-ebook/dp/B00TXN4ZO2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497148197&sr=8-1&keywords=eat+fat+get+thin

"Bright Line Eating" by Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson

This book enlightened me about the way highly processed and refined foods affect our neurological and physical health. In the book, Dr. Thompson recounts her early struggles with food addiction and how she was able to overcome them by eliminating sugar and flour from her diet. This book has helped thousands of people around the world lose excess weight and keep it off. The techniques and recipes discussed in this book are unbelievably useful, and I highly recommend the book. I've provided a link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/Bright-Line-Eating-Science-Living-ebook/dp/B01MUA6QAX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497148127&sr=8-1&keywords=bright+line+eating

"The 4 hour Chef" by Tim Ferriss

Following the dynamic of Tim Ferriss's other two books, "The 4 Hour Chef" doesn't disappoint. In the book, Tim explores how to become competent in cooking by focusing on the most effective lessons and actions. To do this he read numerous acclaimed cook books and interviewed world class chefs. Utilizing these resources, he was able to provide his readers with techniques and strategies to maximize the "taste" of a dish without having to spend years mastering the skill of cooking. The unique "learning" techniques discussed in this book can also be applied to learning any other skill. I loved the insights provided in this book and I highly recommend it. I've provided a link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Chef-Cooking-Learning-Anything-ebook/dp/B005NJU8PA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497148244&sr=8-1&keywords=the+4+hour+chef.

## Exercise

Health and fitness have been an important part of my life for many years. I love to play sports, lift weights and keeping my body in tip top shape. In this section I'll share some of the work out routines that I've been doing over the past six months and some of the results that I've achieved as a result.

Results:

Before: 185 lbs.

After: 177 lbs. Lost 11 lbs. of fat, gained 3 lbs. of muscle

Strength training

For the past 4 months I've been on a strength training regimen. This regimen forces me to push the boundaries of how much weight I can lift (while keeping good form) and as a result can be brutal. Below I've listed my workouts, sets and repetitions, for the past 2 weeks. These workouts may require you to use weights.

*Disclaimer* - Be sure to talk to a health professional before starting any strenuous exercise regimen.

Week 1

Monday

Incline dumbbell press: 80, 75, 70 lbs. for 5, 6 and 8 repetitions

Shoulder press: 50, 45, 40 lbs. for 5, 6 and 8 repetitions

Lateral raises: 30, 25, 20 lbs. for 5, 6 and 8 repetitions

Tricep dips w/ weight: 40, 35, 35 lbs. sets of 10 repetitions

Skull crushers: 70, 60, 60 lbs. sets of 8 repetitions

Tuesday

Bicep pull ups w/ weight: 40, 35, 30 lbs. for 5, 6 and 8 repetitions

Seated bicep curls: 40, 40, 35 lbs. sets of 10 repetitions each arm

Preacher curls: 65, 65, 65 lbs. sets of 10 repetitions

Dumbbell rows: 85, 80, 75 lbs. for 5, 6 and 8 repetitions

Bent-over rear flyes: 55, 50, 45 lbs. for 5, 6, and 8 repetitions

Wednesday

REST DAY (Optional Abs day)

Thursday

Front squat: 155, 145, 135 lbs. for 5, 6, 8 repetitions

Leg press: 275, 265, 255 lbs. for 5, 6, 8 repetitions

Split leg squat: 50's, 45's, 40's lbs. for 5, 6, 8 repetitions (each leg)

Quad extensions: 80 lbs. for 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Hamstring extensions: 80 lbs. for 3 sets of 8 repetitions

Calve raises w/ weight: 70 lbs. 3 sets of 50 repetitions

Friday

Incline dumbbell press: 80, 75, 75 lbs. for 5, 6 and 8 repetitions

Shoulder press: 50, 45, 45 lbs. for 5, 6 and 8 repetitions

Lateral raises: 30, 25, 25 lbs. for 5, 6 and 8 repetitions

Tricep dips w/ weight: 40, 40, 35 lbs. sets of 10 repetitions

Skull crushers: 70, 70, 60 sets of 8 repetitions

Week 2

Monday

Bicep pull ups w/ weight: 40, 35, 35 lbs. for 5, 6 and 8 repetitions

Seated bicep curls: 45, 40, 35 lbs. sets of 10 repetitions each arm

Preacher curls: 70, 65, 65 lbs. sets of 10 repetitions

Dumbbell rows: 85, 80, 80 lbs. for 5, 6 and 8 repetitions

Bent-over rear flyes: 55, 50, 50 lbs. for 5, 6, 8 repetitions

Tuesday

Back squat: 205, 195, 185 lbs. for 5, 6, 8 repetitions

Leg press: 275, 265, 265 lbs. for 5, 6, 8 repetitions

Split leg squat: 50's, 45's, 45's lbs. for 5, 6, 8 repetitions (each leg)

Quad extensions: 90, 80, 80 lbs. for 8 repetitions

Hamstring Extensions: 90, 80, 80 lbs. for 8 repetitions

Calve Raises: 90 lbs. for 3 sets of 50 repetitions

Wednesday

3 mile run

Thursday

Leg lifts: 3 sets of 15 repetitions

V-ups: 3 sets of 15 repetitions

Planks: 3 sets of 1 minute

Bicycle sit ups: 3 sets of 50 repetitions each leg

Side bends w/o weight: 3 sets of 25 repetitions each side

Friday

Incline dumbbell press: 80, 80, 75 lbs. for 5, 6 and 8 repetitions

Shoulder press: 50, 50, 45 lbs. for 5, 6 and 8 repetitions

Lateral raises: 30, 30, 25 lbs. for 5, 6 and 8 repetitions

Tricep dips w/ weight: 45, 40, 35 lbs. sets of 10 repetitions

Skull crushers: 70, 70, 70 lbs. sets of 8 repetitions

Repeat this cycle for another 2 weeks to complete your monthly rotation. The important part of this strength training regime is to INCREASE weight each time you work out a muscle group. As discussed in the "Strength Training" section of the book, you need to shock your Central Nervous System in order to stimulate strength gain and muscle growth. By increasing the weight each time you work out a muscle group, you'll achieve that goal.

Size training

Building muscle size requires you to operate in a different range of weight. As discussed in the section "Building muscle size", in order to maximize your muscle growth training regimen, you must utilize weight between 70 - 80% of your 1RM for 8-12 reps. Below I've provided a 2-week muscle growth sample workout routine. Once you complete the 2-week cycle, repeat it again.

*Disclaimer* - Be sure to talk to a health professional before starting any strenuous exercise regimen

Week 1

Monday

Incline dumbbell press: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Shoulder press: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Lateral raises: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Tricep dips w/ or w/o weight: Do what feels comfortable for you. If you can't achieve 10 repetitions consistently with weight, do it unweighted. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Skull crushers: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Tuesday

Cardio Exercise – Running, swimming, yoga, Pilates, playing sports, etc. (at least 30 minutes)

Wednesday

Bicep pull ups w/ weight: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Seated bicep curls: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Preacher curls: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Dumbbell rows: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Bent-over rear flyes: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Thursday

Leg lifts: 3 sets of 15 repetitions

V-ups: 3 sets of 15 repetitions

Side bends w/ weight: find a weight that you feel comfortable doing 12 times each side.

Medicine ball crunches w/ or w/o weight – focus on squeezing your upper abs.

Bicycle sit ups: 3 sets of 50 repetitions each leg

Friday

Front squat: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Leg press: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Split leg squat: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions (each leg)

Quad extensions: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Hamstring extensions: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Calve raises: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Week 2

Monday

Incline dumbbell press: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Shoulder press: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Lateral raises: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Tricep dips w/ or w/o weight: Do what feels comfortable for you. If you can't achieve 10 repetitions consistently with weight, do it unweighted. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Skull crushers: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Tuesday

Cardio Exercise – Running, swimming, yoga, Pilates, playing sports, etc. (at least 30 minutes)

Wednesday

Bicep pull ups w/ weight: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Seated bicep curls: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Preacher curls: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Dumbbell rows: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Bent-over rear flyes: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Thursday

Planks: 3 sets of 60 seconds

Mountain climbers: 3 sets of 25 repetitions each leg

Side bends w/ weight: find a weight that you feel comfortable doing 12 times each side.

Medicine ball crunches w/ or w/o weight: focus on squeezing your upper abs.

Bicycle sit ups: 3 sets of 50 repetitions each leg

Friday

Back squat: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Leg press: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Split leg squat: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions (each leg)

Quad extensions: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Romanian deadlifts: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Calve raises: 80%, 75%, 70% for 8, 10, 12 repetitions

Repeat this cycle for another 2 weeks to complete your monthly rotation. The important part of this size training regime is to INCREASE weight periodically throughout your exercise program. As discussed in the "Periodization" section of the book, you need to continue to shock your central nervous system in order to stimulate muscle growth.

Endurance Training

For those of you looking to build muscle endurance, the objective is to activate your muscles over a longer period of time. As discussed in the "Developing muscle endurance" section of the book, in order to maximize your muscle endurance training regimen, you'll need to utilize weight around 60% of your 1RM for 15-20 repetitions. Below I've provided a 2-week muscle endurance sample workout routine. Once you complete the 2-week cycle, repeat it again.

*Disclaimer* - Be sure to talk to a health professional before starting any strenuous exercise regimen

Week 1

Monday

Incline dumbbell press: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Shoulder press: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Lateral raises: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Tricep extensions: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Skull crushers: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Tuesday

Cardio Exercise – Running, swimming, yoga, Pilates, playing sports, etc. (at least 45 minutes)

Wednesday

Lat pull downs: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Seated bicep curls: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Preacher curls: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Dumbbell rows: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Bent-over rear flyes: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Thursday

Leg lifts: 3 sets of 15 repetitions

V-ups: 3 sets of 15 repetitions

Side bends w/ weight: find a weight that you feel comfortable using for 12 repetitions each side.

Medicine ball crunches w/ or w/o weight: focus on squeezing your upper abs.

Bicycle sit ups: 3 sets of 50 repetitions each leg

Friday

Front squat: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Leg press: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Split leg squat: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions (each leg)

Quad extensions: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Hamstring extensions: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Calve raises: 3 sets of 50 repetitions

Week 2

Monday

Incline dumbbell press: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Shoulder press: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Lateral raises: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Tricep extensions: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Skull crushers: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Tuesday

Cardio Exercise – Running, swimming, yoga, Pilates, playing sports, etc. (at least 45 minutes)

Wednesday

Lat pull downs: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Seated bicep curls: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Preacher curls: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Dumbbell rows: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Bent-over rear flyes: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Thursday

Planks: 3 sets of 60 seconds

Mountain climbers: 3 sets of 25 each leg

Side bends w/ weight: find a weight that you feel comfortable using for 12 repetitions each side.

Medicine ball crunches w/ or w/o weight: focus on squeezing your upper abs.

Bicycle sit ups: 3 sets of 50 repetitions each leg

Friday

Back Squat: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Leg Press: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Split Leg Squat: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions (each leg)

Quad Extensions: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Hamstring Extensions: 60% for between 15-20 repetitions

Calve Raises: 3 sets of 50 repetitions

Alternative exercises

Although I enjoy lifting and occasionally running as my form of exercise, there are also many other options you can choose from. Below I've listed a few of the most popular, and I offer suggestions on how to squeeze them into your schedule.

Walking

This is one of the most casual of all the exercises listed here but it doesn't detract from its effectiveness. Walking 30 minutes a day at 4 miles per hour will help you burn up to 200 calories per day. If you perform this exercise every weekday, this translates to an extra 7 pounds after 6 months! Make the commitment to set your alarm clock back 30 minutes and incorporate this routine into your morning. There's no better way to wake your body up than a brisk walk around town.

Running

This is the first exercise most people think of when you talk about cardio exercises. I personally like to find a scenic route to run that is between 3-5 miles long. If you run for 30 minutes at 6 miles per hour (10 minutes per mile) you can burn 438 calories during that time period. If you were to run 4 times a week over the course of 6 months this would translate to just over 12 pounds! Try it for yourself and see what a difference it makes.

Swimming

Swimming is one of my favorite exercises because it limits the stress on my joints. A 30 minute freestyle session of swimming burns between 250-300 calories. If you perform this exercise every weekday with all other variables remaining equal, you can expect to lose between 12-14 lbs. in just 6 months! If you have a pool, dedicate 30 minutes in the morning to take a dip and swim some laps. If you don't have a pool, find a nearby fitness center with a pool and commit to swimming before work in the morning. You can set your alarm clock back 1 hour and pack your bag the night before.

**Alternatives:** Yoga, Pilates, football, basketball, tennis, baseball, etc.

All these alternative exercises are great forms of exercise that help support a healthy physique. Look into starting or joining an intramural team for some of these sports. Often times, there are leagues or groups that get together and play a few times a week. For Pilates and yoga, look into studios in your area. If you find a studio that you like, pop in one day and take a class. You may be surprised to find how much you enjoy how you feel after your workout.

The moral of the story is that moving your body for at least 30 minutes a day can have a significantly positive impact on your health and well-being. Make the commitment to exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes and I promise that your life will be better because of it.

Fitness services

If you need help designing a fitness routine that fits your goals I'd love to work with you. Contact me via my email: recollaz@gmail.com with the subject "Fitness services" for pricing.

Books on Exercise:

Below I've listed some of my favorite books related to the topic of "Exercise". I highly recommend each book and would love to hear your feedback on the content:

"The 4 hour body" by Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss is an admitted human guinea pig and this book is a prime example of it. Throughout the book, he describes different scenarios of him taking different drugs and supplements to see how his body would react to them. Along with these supplements he also talks about different foods/diets and workout routines that will help you lose weight and build lean muscle. It's another great Tim Ferriss book and I highly recommend it. I've provided a link to the book below:

<https://www.amazon.com/Hour-Body-Uncommon-Incredible-Superhuman/dp/030746363X>

Bodybuilding.com

Although this resource is not a book, bodybuilding.com is the world's premier site for all things related to body building. Using the techniques and workout routines I found on this website I'm stronger, have more muscle mass and am more toned than I've ever been. It's truly amazing what can happen when you create a community where some of the greatest minds in exercise science and body building can share their expertise. It's my go-to site for all things related to fitness, and I highly recommend it.

www.BodyBuilding.com

"Strength Training Anatomy" by Frederic Delavier

Do you want a comprehensive book of all the lifts and stretches you can do to achieve the body of your dreams? Well look no further because this book is all you need. In the book, the author illustrates an array of exercises/stretches and explains how each affects the anatomy of the body. This is one of the most highly rated books on the subject of human anatomy, physiology and strength training, and I highly recommend it. I've provided a link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Training-Anatomy-Frederic-Delavier/dp/0736092269/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497147384&sr=1-9&keywords=best+workout+books

## Finances

Improving your financial well-being is part of living a rich and full life. In this section I share various financial resources and go over some of the financial instruments that I've used in the past to achieve positive financial results.

*Disclaimer* - Be sure consult with a certified financial professional before making any investment decision.

Discovering your risk profile

What is your risk profile? Your risk profile is how much risk you're willing to take with your investments. Someone who has a high tolerance for risk will have his/her portfolio weighted more with stocks and less with safer/lower return securities. On the other hand, if you have a low risk profile you'll be more cautious with your investments and have more allocated to safer securities. To get a feel for what your risk profile is check out the link I've provided below:

<https://personal.vanguard.com/us/FundsInvQuestionnaire>

Now that you know what your risk profile is, begin investing with your risk tolerance in mind. Remember that even investing a small amount today will have a big impact on your future finances.

Index fund options

As discussed in the "Finances" section of the book, index funds offer investors a reliable return on investment and should be strongly considered as an option to add to your financial portfolio. Index funds are offered by various financial institutions, and I've listed some of the most popular below:

Voya Financial

I currently use Voya Financial for my 401k and Roth IRA funds. They offer competitive rates and have stellar customer service you can contact 24/7. To set up your Voya account, go to www.voya.com and click on the "Create Account" link on the top right hand corner of the page. Follow the instructions to complete your registration and start investing!

Vanguard

I've been using Vanguard for the last 4 years and have been happy with my results. To set up an account go to <https://investor.vanguard.com/home/> and select the "Open an Account" tab on the top right corner. Follow the instructions to complete your registration and start investing!

Charles Schwab

I use Charles Schwab not only for their investment account but for their checking account services as well. Both provide stellar service, and I highly recommend each option. To set up your Charles Schwab account go to <https://www.schwab.com/> and select the "Open an Account" button on the top right hand corner. Fill out the necessary information to complete your registration and start investing!

Real estate

If you're trying to get into real estate there are a few resources that you should definitely utilize. The first is the "Bigger Pockets" community found at www.BiggerPockets.com. This community is filled with like-minded real estate investors that can offer support and advice through the home buying and eventually home ownership process. You can also reach out to other real estate investors in your area and meet up to discuss real estate. It's an extremely powerful tool, and I highly recommend it.

Another great resource to utilize is YouTube. One of my favorite experts to reference is Phil Pustejovsky. He's a real estate guru who provides videos that break down everything from how to flip a home, how to find good contractors to do home repairs, how to buy a rental property, how to manage a rental property, etc. If you're looking to buy an investment property it would be wise to take advantage of all the free information he provides.

Books on Real estate:

Investing in real estate is a big commitment so it helps to be well versed on the subject before taking the leap of faith. Below I've listed some of the books that I found extremely helpful:

"The Book on Rental Property Investing: How to Create Wealth and Passive Income Through Smart Buy & Hold Real Estate Investing" by Brandon Turner

This is one of the most comprehensive books I've read on the subject of investing in rental properties. Brandon Turner of the Bigger Pockets Podcast outlines his strategies of investing in real estate and describes how you can use his strategies to build wealth in real estate. I found the information extremely insightful and I believe this should be your go-to resource when considering buying a home. I've provided a link to the book below:

<https://www.amazon.com/Book-Rental-Property-Investing-Passive-ebook/dp/B018UTI2DO>

"The Automatic Millionaire: Homeowner" by David Bach

This is one of the first books I read on the subject of real estate. In the book, David guides you through the process of homeownership from start to finish and offers some valuable insight into how you can leverage the equity in your home to expand your real estate holdings over time. This is a phenomenal book that I highly recommend to anyone considering investing in real estate. I've provided a link to the book below:

<https://www.amazon.com/Automatic-Millionaire-Homeowner-Lifetime-Finish/dp/0767921216>

Books on Personal Finance:

Below I've listed some of my favorite books related to the topic of "Finances". I highly recommend each book and would love to get your feedback on the content:

"I Will Teach You To Be Rich" by Ramit Sathi

This was the first personal finance book I read and it's by far my favorite. In the book, Ramit talks about how to automate your finances so you can save and invest in your sleep. One of the reasons I liked this book so much is because it was written from a millennial perspective. Ramit talks a lot about how it's OK to spend money on the things you love if you supplement that with cutting viciously in other areas of your life that you don't find as valuable. I've used the concepts in this book to save and invest tens of thousands of dollars over the course of 3 years. I've provided a link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/Will-Teach-You-Be-Rich/dp/0761147489/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1499120513&sr=1-1&keywords=i+will+teach+you+to+be+rich

"Money Master the Game: 7 steps to Financial Freedom" by Tony Robbins

As one of the world's best personal coaches and motivational speakers, Tony Robbins has helped millions of people with his message of hope and empowerment. In his book "Money Master the Game," Tony shares his insights on how to achieve financial freedom after talking with some of the greatest financial minds in the world. Although I found some parts of this book a bit "salesy", there are some useful pieces of information that I've been able to utilize in my own life. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to get started with investing. I've provided a link to the book below:

<https://www.amazon.com/MONEY-Master-Game-Financial-Freedom-ebook/dp/B00MZAIU4G>

"The Millionaire Booklet" by Grant Cardone

The brash and always entertaining Grant Cardone has done it again with this book. In this short book (no more than 50 pages), Grant Cardone shares how he was able to achieve millionaire status over the course of 10 years. Although this book may be short, it doesn't skimp on useful and relevant information. The idea of growing your income and expanding your income streams was a game-changing concept for me because I never really thought of it as a viable option. It's a short read and the information inside this book can be life changing. I've provided a link to the book below:

<https://www.amazon.com/Millionaire-Booklet-Grant-Cardone/dp/0990355454>

"The Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey

Dave Ramsey is the "No Debt" king. Via his popular TV/radio show, Dave preaches about the harms that excess debt can have on your future financial well-being. In the book, Dave Ramsey defines his "5 baby steps" to financial freedom and explains how you can use each step to set yourself up for future financial success. I found this book to be one of the most insightful on the subject of personal finance and I highly recommend it. I've provided a link to the book below:

https://www.amazon.com/Total-Money-Makeover-Classic-Financial/dp/1595555277/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1595555277&pd_rd_r=GACYE8YVCDFBZK36NZ65&pd_rd_w=g0qcb&pd_rd_wg=l7a3R&psc=1&refRID=GACYE8YVCDFBZK36NZ65

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