Aloena Capital

It’s that time of they year again (the end of the year, the new year, the time for New Years resolutions) where I always feel like I need to semi-organize my life. Here’s a short list of some useful, but often overlooked bullet points that can help us all get our sh*t together.

1. Write everything down – stickies, note pad apps, carry a mini notebook, voice notes
2. Create folders and sub folders in your Outlook pane – create automatic rules
3. Keep your purse/bags organized – buy a divider, makeup bags, coin purses
4. Use the bedtime feature on iPhone (I use this every single day) 
5. Make your bed! 
6. Create a grocery list before hand
7. Store all your photos on the Cloud 
8. Color code your hanging garments in the closet 
9. Download the Mint app for weekly budget tracking 
10. Create daily file folders at work – to do today, follow up, and working on 
11. Set your coffee on auto timer for the morning 
12. Keep a second set of bedding to rotate between washes 
13. Use a refillable water bottle 
14. Purchases an Amazon Alexa 
15. Download the Credit Karma app for constant credit monitoring and updates 
16. Make a change jar
17. Keep a small trash bag in your car 
18. Set calendar reminders frequently (can use Siri)
19. Buy a trunk storage system for your car
20. Organize your dresser drawers by what you use them for (sleeping, working out, jeans, etc)
21. Keep healthy snacks at your desk
22. Always organize files by month and date
23. Set outlook or google calendar alerts 2 days before any recurring bills are due
24. Unsubscribe from all junk emails at once
25. Make a mini compost for food waste
26. Buy a car wash membership to keep your car looking nice
27. Plug in an automatic air freshener into each room
28. Keep a planner and timer at work to block off time into 30 minute working blocks
29. Create “instructions” as you learn something new in a word doc so you can go back to follow them if needed, or teach someone else
30. Keep a mini humidifier in your office
31. Buy a small soft drawer box for your socks so they don’t get lost
32. Download a food tracking app to observe macronutrients and calories

If you follow this page, you probably have a similar mindset. I am always listening to something where I can learn, feel motivated, and think of some refreshing new ideas.

I’ve compiled a short list of some recent favorite podcasts that inspire me to start thinking creatively.

1. Cracking the Code on Company Culture – Tony Robbins

2. How You Can Use Imposter Syndrome to Your Benefit – Mike Cannon-Brookes

3. Why Some Of Us Don’t Have One True Calling – Emilie Wapnick

4. The Secret – Rhonda Byrne

5. How to Come Back From The Bottom – Jim Grant Cardone

Enjoy!

Do you sometimes feel like you’re stuck in a rut or want to jumpstart your life to the next level? Are you curious about what you can do to help speed up the process of accomplishing your goals with minimal lifestyle tweaks? Well I have a great list of 6 things that can completely jumpstart your career, your lifestyle, your class work, etc.

1. Be on Time

I’m not going to lie, I’m really not a believer of “if you’re early you’re on time, if you’re on time, you’re late.” There has to be some construct of time people need to follow. If you tell me 5:00, then I expect 5:00, not 4:00, not 4:30…maybe 4:50. But anyway, being consistently late to class, work, or meetings just reflects poorly. Other people may not not have the same view points as I do, so just try and get a feel for what is necessary. Interviews, first days of work, and college classes are all important and I would suggest arriving 5 minutes early to settle in and prepare for the day.

2. Energy

I need caffeine or some kind of nootropic during the day to stay focused. My position requires a great attention to detail, so it’s imperative that I can focus. If you find yourself lagging through out the day, first make sure your sleep schedule isn’t suffering. 8 hours of sleep is recommended. The new iPhone update has a sleep feature that can help, I use it every day. Second, have a positive attitude. Nothing reflects worse than someone with no energy for the task at hand. It’s unmotivating to others and just makes your day go by slower. Third, examine what you’re eating and drinking. Drinking plenty of water a day has been proven to help your body stay energized. Try to keep some healthy snacks at hand to improve cognitive brain function, along with any kind of pick me up you may need. I found a list of great snacks here.

3. Attitude

Probably the single most important thing on this list. Your attitude sets the tone for your entire day, even your entire life. I 100% abide by the Law of Attraction. Try to go one day without complaint about anything. Then keep the momentum going and focus on positive thoughts. This goes a lot more in depth than what I am able to discuss here, so I recommend downloading or purchasing the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. I have an audiobook so I am able to listen to it on my commutes or before bed. I find them more convenient for my lifestyle.

Your life is responding to your attitude.

4. Being Coachable/Teachable

Opening up your mind is so essential for changing anything about your life. You will encounter multiple people every single day who have some kind of knowledge base to offer. And I guarantee they are all willing to share. You do not know everything, and you will never know everything. Being teachable is a great trait to have, because it shows you are willing to work and it shows you are willing to learn.

5. Work Ethic

Work ethic is more than just for work. The effort you put in to all aspects of your life will reflect. Create daily habits, follow through with tasks, and take responsibility for yourself.

6. Be Prepared

Being prepared for work, a job interview, class, or a meeting requires a certain amount of dedication. You need to learn how to love learning. There should never be a time you stop reading or watching things that can propel your goals.

This can even be applied to the most basic of entry level work positions. If you are a waitress, I would look into how to boost your interpersonal skills or sales skills. What could I do to make my guests feel more comfortable, and most importantly, spend more money? Is boosting alcohol sales per check the key to better take home pay? (Tip: Fuck yes it is)

As a retail store employee, are you knowledgeable about your products? Do you know the ingredients, or anything about the brands of what your selling? How is your attitude at the register?

These are the kind of questions you need to be asking yourself to be prepared.

Bill Gates, the og Business King himself once repeated to a crowd

“I choose a lazy person to do a hard job, because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.”

Google, Apple, Microsoft, all hire the best and the brightest. The short cutters. The want their employees to find new ways of getting their job done. They want their employees to be “lazy.” Those companies thrive on the people who find the easiest way to do a hard task.

This thought process can be applied to all boards of finance, even if you want to take the lazy employee mantra into your personal life. Let’s talk about passive income for a second – the ultimate lazy income stream.

Passive income, best described in my own words would be “making your money work for you.” I’ve even heard people say it is “making money while you sleep.” The ultimate flex.

Working smarter, not harder, is the most valuable asset you can have, or have in an employee. There’s not a single company that can thrive on outdated and time consuming activities. You need innovation and creativity aka – the lazy employee.