When I first started writing professionally I assumed that Word was the standard program to use for everything. After all, it’s on just about every PC and takes care of your basic tasks. But I found problems with it. While it was fine for most writing tasks, when you’re writing a wide variety of pieces from fiction to articles to blog posts, I found that different software (and free) enabled me to do my job much easier and faster.

The thing about writing is that it’s 90% logical thinking and only 10% getting the words down. Having programs which enable that 90% to flourish is a big help.

Here are three programs which help me on a day-to-day basis.

I’ve worked as a freelance writer and blogger both in print publications and online for almost two years now. And in that time I’ve honed how I work – and more to the point of this, my first ever screencast, I have honed the desktop applications I use when working.

In this video, I discuss my favourite programs for working. I take into account their functionality, support on other devices and platforms as well as the freelancer’s dreaded enemy, distraction!

As I say in the video, this is my first ever screencast. This is also the first video in the series that will become the AoS video podcast. I’ll aim to get one of those out every month or so along with four or five articles. It would be great to hear some feedback and suggestions.

The root of all problems lie in their existence. If they weren’t there, or if they we’re made irrelevant, they would no longer be a ‘problem’ per say. More of a fact or formula floating in obscurity.

Yet, most of our problems such as stress and money (business related or not) lie in the fact that we allow them to exist. Either we lazily put up with them or we consider them essential to our business or life and as such don’t do anything about them.

Say you have an annoying client. He or she will only ever produce a certain amount of income yet they could eat up two or three times the time a normal client who produces the same amount of income. That causes you stress and it’s also uneconomical. As I’ve said before, a cornerstone of lifestyle design is elimination. And here’s why

As per our previous article on ‘Being Original in the 21st Century’, I thought I’d share with you the five tenets of originality (or at least mine).

I’ve pondered the meaning of originality and how it applies to today’s people. Some of the points are similar and linked into one another. That’s why they’re tenets instead of random criteria.
Here it goes.

Be Free of External Influences

While it’s fine to be immersed in media and literature, it’s another thing altogether when they lead you down a well-forged path. Form your own opinions and even objections to popular beliefs and so-called ‘facts’. Just because it’s in a book doesn’t make it true.

“It’s better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation” – Hermin Melivin

The man had a point ladies and gentlemen. What’s the point of being born, going to school, growing up, going to university, trying your very best to get a great job to do well in life when you’re just following the Status Quo?

Many people have become wrapped into this false sense of existence. And it’s more obvious with some people more so than others.

Ever had a conversation and you just know that half the stuff coming out of the other persons mouth is utter waffle? Try as you may to bring it down to a realistic level but their head is stuck way up in the clouds. The funny thing is that many people don’t even realise that they’re just conforming to whatever show they last watched on MTV.

For those of you who don’t know who David Attenborough is, he’s probably the most successful wild-life TV expert of our time. He works mainly for the BBC in producing documentaries and also writes very informative books.

I usually spend around two hours a week watching his documentaries On Demand because not only do I find him a great personality, but the issues he raises and the places he visits are stunning. And I’ve also noticed that many of the animal’s instincts can be applied directly to lifestyle design.

Observance

Whenever they feature and animal of prey, they do a 2-3 minute section on how the animal stalks its victim, watches them moving around, follows their scent, singles out the most vulnerable target and then licks its lips.
I give very similar advice in a lot of my articles. I tell you to sit back, relax, take stock, brood and positively identify what area of your life you want to target. It could be expenses, habits, work or social commitments. Taking a blind stab in the dark has a very slim chance of finding the right target. Observe, think and process a problem. Only then, when you have a clear understanding of the issue should you…

As of late, I’ve started to let a few things slide in the work department. Not on paper. On paper I’m doing rather well. But I’m young, somewhat financially secure and have no family to care for so numbers only really bother me to a certain extent. I’ve let things slip by doing work I don’t want to do.

I used to only do big jobs that allowed me to write one big article at a time. Give it my all and be proud of what I had created when all was said and done. I still do that on sites such as MakeUseOf. But I also started doing plenty of measly little articles which I don’t particularly care for. In fact, I’ve grown to despise them for their lack of meaning. When I look at my daily to-do list and see them I just want to close my laptop and give up. I’m sure everyone has chores or work which they wish they never got themselves stuck with.

So I’ve decided that it’s about time to cut away the excess fat. It’s holding me back and I hate it. I’m going to slowly start trimming off the work I don’t like by either outsourcing or just getting rid of it altogether. That way, I can start looking for more work which I’ll actually enjoy.

You may be thinking, from reading the title of this post no doubt, that I’m going to go on a big rave about how you should cut back. Not buy this, not buy that because it costs too much or your really don’t need it. But you’d be mistaken. And AoS’d be like every other personal finance blog. Neither of which are my intention.

What I’m going to propose in this article is something that millions of people practice every day without even noticing it. Sadly, hundreds of millions of people overlook this simple step and spend more money than they have too.

I call this streamlining your expenses and it entails reducing the number of purchases you make to facilitate the purchase of multi-purpose tools and thus streamline your lifestyle simultaneously.

At first glance, this seems pretty straight forward. But it’s really a process that requires some serious thinking, list making and comparison between products and services. But we’ll start with the easiest part first.

Here’s the inside scoop about money: it matters. Not as much as other things in your life such as a home, friends, family, food and fulfilment. But it does matter. And depending on what stage in your life you’re at it can matter all the more.

So when there’s a problem with your money, it can be unsettling to say the least. You might not be in debt. But you could feel the noose draped around your neck towards the end of the month as last month’s pay starts to dry up and bills mount.

And yet most financial problems can be solved quickly enough by following a few simple steps. Thus allowing for a good nights sleep and maybe even a small well of excess funds that can be dipped into when things get tough again.

Identify the Problem

How can you expect to fight a demon when you’re not sure what or where it is? I don’t mean say “I don’t have enough money” out loud. I mean really think. For a few hours, maybe even days. Find the cracks where money is seeping out. Where and why are you spending where your shouldn’t or couldn’t? Think. Brood. Know your enemy.

I’m a web worker. I used to call myself a freelancer but that was before I stopped doing print publications. I prefer working on the web. It’s quicker, easier and there’s more community. Not to mention more work. Plus, you can work as little or as much as you want.

Sure the pay is less but I honestly wouldn’t trade this in for a 9-5 that pays double. Why?

Let’s see. I don’t have to commute which is a BIG plus in my eyes. I also don’t have to do what other people tell me to do whenever they tell me: To a certain extent, at least (obviously I still have deadlines and quotas to make).

You CAN Do It

And to be frank, it amazes me how many people in dire straights won’t just give it a shot. At least on a part time basis. Especially people such as students who complain about being ’skint’ or unemployed folks who sit around grumbling but have perfectly marketable skills.