I am quitting online courses.

(And don’t worry. If you already invested in one of my courses, you won’t lose access. The website will still live on. I’m just done selling them after one final enrollment period).

“Why? ARE YOU CRAZY!?!?!”

No.

I’m not crazy.

“IS THIS A SCAM? A TRICK? A GIMMICK?”

Absolutely not.

It’s real.

“OKAY TELL ME EVERYTHING.”

Sure.

Here’s the full story…

The Golden Years

I started Social Triggers in 2011.

I had the worst haircut.

The worst handwriting.

And the worst video quality…

…but things still went great.

I had no idea how I planned to make money, but I didn’t care. I just liked sharing cool content, psychology research, and applying it directly to online business.

I wrote. I had a marketing podcast before podcasting was cool. And I filmed YouTube videos.

And I built a following pretty damn fast. Millions of visitors. Almost a half a million email subscribers. And I was making millions of dollars.

It was so strange, too. I grew up poor. My dad was in jail most of my life. My mom was on welfare. And I was surrounded by drug addicts who would steal money from my mom. Things were pretty bad.

And now, I was an “internet guru” teaching other businesses how to start and grow their business. And it was working. Like crazy.

It was the golden years for Social Triggers…

And Then Something Went Wrong In 2015…

I didn’t spot it at the time.

However, look at the facts:

I published a video on YouTube in September 2015, and then I never published one until March 2017 – almost a 2 year hiatus.

I released this infographic on Facebook in November 2015. It went super viral. People ended up stealing it and pretending like they made it, but this is literally how I felt at the time… even when business was going great.

And even though 2016 went on to become my best year in business, I felt more and more burnt out.

Enter 2017.

I Felt Burnt Out – BAD

I finally realized I was suffering from burn out, and I knew I needed to do something about it.

So, I started experimenting with new business ideas and business models.

1. I experimented with a social skills course, and even though I loved teaching it, I didn’t thinK I could scale it. So I killed the project.

2. I launched a fitness coaching program. This was out of left field, of course, especially for me, so I partnered with a fitness expert to deliver it. This also went well, but I didn’t think I would find that business interesting, either.

3. I began researching physical product businesses. I talked to the owner of a childrens’ toy company, and thought about partnering up with them to bring children toys to market. I also talked to an apparel company and thought about marketing clothing.

4. I launched a high end mastermind where successful business owners paid $25,000 to join for 6 months for both business advice and coaching.

5. I hired a new videographer to create videos, and then proceeded to make… almost no videos.

Even though this sounds like I was all over the place, I can tell you that, it’s because I was all over the place. I was experimenting, and trying to find something else I could do here at Social Triggers that would alleviate the burnout.

None of it worked.

And that’s when I realized it’s because Social Triggers was a great business…

…but I didn’t understand WHY I was doing it.

Sure, I enjoyed helping business owners, and watching them get results is absolutely amazing, but I felt myself wanting to do something bigger. Something more important. Something that could impact more people, in more ways.

And quite frankly, build something that could become a huge business that regular people would know about.

But Then I Got Lucky After One Conversation…

So, there I was. It was the end of summer of 2017, and I was telling my friend about my problems at his lake-house in Connecticut.

And he said, “So, let’s start a new company. I’ve been thinking about getting into the health and wellness space. You interested?”

“But I don’t have an audience in that space, but I have an idea. I’ve been talking to another friend about doing this for years, and maybe now is the time to do it.”

So, I called her up, and within about 2 weeks, I co-founded a new company called Truvani, where we sell health and wellness products (like protein powder, marine collagen, turmeric, bone broth, etc).

We kept the company lean, at first.

We had a crazy idea to use high quality ingredients in our products… it’s crazy because even the companies who say they use high quality ingredients had lower standards than we had… and I wasn’t sure if it would work out.

But still, by November 2017, we pre-launched our first product – a turmeric supplement. And things went very well. So well, in fact, that I finally felt alive again.

LOOK HOW MUCH FUN I WAS HAVING:

First, I truly believed in our mission – creating high quality supplements, with real food ingredients.

Second, the challenges associated with a physical product business were exciting.

And finally, I felt like I had some new things to talk about for Social Triggers.

So, I Did Something Even Crazier…

I started 2018 strong. I started a daily vlog where I wanted to take people “behind the scenes” of my daily life of running 3 separate companies – Social Triggers, Zippy Courses, and Truvani.

Like I didn’t have enough on my plate already, but whatever. I jumped and planned to figure it out as I went along for the ride.

At first.

I published one video every single day. There was no real “purpose” behind the video a day ordeal other than the fact that I’ve always been a creative at heart and felt like I had something to say.

We did cool videos, too.

I played chess.

I taught random business and life lessons from the park.

I told the story of the Empire State building being built in a year.

But all the projects began to add up. It was too much work.

It Became Too Much – And Then I Had To Get Honest

When we began shipping our first Truvani product, and launched it to the world, I realized something…

Starting a business like Truvani was invigorating. I was doing something that I believed mattered for the world. And I was having a lot of fun doing it.

…but the work from all of my businesses began to pile up.

I had a daily vlog. Social Triggers. Zippy Courses. Truvani.

And it all came to a head when we started shipping our first product from Truvani at the end of February 2018.

We began shipping it, and launched it again, and everything went so well, that I was left thinking, “Wait a second. Truvani has some real legs here. Maybe I need to focus on this 100%.”

And the work was becoming TOO MUCH, but I thought I could handle it.

And Then I Got HUGE News

I found out I was having a baby.

So, there I was.

I had so many different priorities on my plate, and something HAD to give. I quit vlogging on the drop of a hat. I didn’t have the time, and something had to give.

And then I thought about axing Social Triggers…

…but would I really do that?

Social Triggers?

My reputation.

My personal brand.

My business.

Would I really just walk away?

I wasn’t so sure.

Social Triggers was my baby. And now I would be going dark. I’d disappear from the public eye, and go “behind the scenes” in a different company.

I was still an owner. A co-founder. But I wouldn’t be the Derek Halpern that everyone knew and loved (and maybe hated).

I Deliberated About This Decision FOR MONTHS

I loved Social Triggers, and I loved my new business. But things started going so well at Truvani, that the work kept piling up.

We launched our first product in February 2018. We launched another in May. Another in July. And now, in 2019, we’ve launched a complete catalogue of products.

I slowed down on content creation here…

…because my heart was all in on Truvani.

Then My Daughter Harper Was Born…

Her name is Harper Halpern.

She’s pretty cute, if I say so myself.

View this post on Instagram

I’m in trouble. She’s too cute. And now I’m that guy that posts baby pictures. Stick a fork in me. Dad jokes are next.

A post shared by Derek Halpern (@derekhalpern) on Oct 27, 2018 at 4:32pm PDT

And I plan to dress her exactly how I dress.

A year later…

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:

View this post on Instagram

Living my best life over here. She likes yelling. I like yelling. She likes sparkly shoes. I like sparkly shoes. This will be fun.

A post shared by Derek Halpern (@derekhalpern) on Nov 10, 2019 at 10:34am PST

Black sweat pants. Black t-shirt. Sparkling shoes.

Now…

One of the things I believe in most is taking decisive action, and it’s an example I’d like to set my daughter as she gets older.

Winners don’t hem and haw. Winners pick a direction, and go in that direction.

So, I STOPPED Selling Online Courses…

Yep.

In 2019 I basically stopped completely.

There was one thing I did not anticipate though…

People kept emailing me and asking to join the courses that I no longer sold.

This was an interesting problem.

The courses were valuable.

The courses were truly “evergreen.”

And if someone bought these courses, they would still find the value they were looking for.

However, I just couldn’t dedicate the time to “managing” the whole thing.

So, I just didn’t sell them.

However, about a month ago, someone asked me if I was going to offer them on sale again this year like I did last year.

I resisted at first.

Then, I sent an email a couple of weeks ago to see if other people would be interested…

…and hundreds of people said heck yes.

So, I decided to do it all over again.

A one time sale on my flagship online courses

You Can See All The Details Right Here

I’m selling the courses for up to 75% off.

For new enrollments.

It’s pretty crazy.

But I’m only doing this because I know they can help. You can read more here.

Now, if you don’t have any interest in online courses…

No worries.

If you’re on my email list, you’ll still get emails.

I just do not intend on selling courses for a looooooong time.

If you want to learn more about the new company I co-founded, here’s the link.

Check Out Truvani

If you want to see the “behind the scenes” of my new life…

…I highly suggest you follow me on Instagram.

GO FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM.

And if you want to hear more about when I launch my courses for the last time, look for an email from me real soon.

Our blog posts are informative. But how do we make them more engaging for our readers?

What did I tell her?

I shared my “3 sentence rule” for making boring content more engaging. Here it is…

First of all, she was right:

The information in the articles was GREAT.

You see, this particular blog was about personal finance – a complex subject. The writing was good. It was obvious the writers know what they’re talking about. Plus, the articles were well-researched and easy-to-read.

So far so good.

But there was ONE thing missing…

The Secret to More Engaging Content

Can you relate? This is a common problem. You have great information on your blog but it’s just… kind of boring. If this sounds familiar, it’s more critical now than ever to solve it.

So, I read two articles on this particular blog by one of my students.

Immediately I saw the problem:

It felt like I was reading a Wikipedia entry – it was dry and boring. Like a gluten-free, unsalted rice cake. NOT fun to read. NOT quite share- or comment-worthy, either. Even though I know much more about tax-loss harvesting…

…all I got was “information.”

So what was missing?

Simple.

The key to more engaging content is:

STORY.

Everybody knows this, too.

Stories connect.

So, the real question is…

HOW DO YOU DO IT?

How do you TELL a story that pulls people into your content? Especially if you’re not a professional “storyteller.”

I mean… Chances are, you have no plans to write a screenplay anytime soon. You just want to create more engaging content for your business, right?

Right.

Well, I’m going to show you how to infuse some story-magic into your content.

You don’t need to write a novel. Or turn every blog post into a short story…

As you’ll see, all it takes is a few short sentences. You can add them at the beginning of your blog posts, social media updates, sales page, etc.

That way, you’ll pull more people in… and keep them reading. Or watching. Or listening.

But first…

We need to break down the structure of any good story:

A Proven Story-Structure that Anyone Can Use

Hollywood screenwriters have used a proven, 3-act structure to tell engaging stories for decades.

It goes like this:

Act 1: Setup

The setup is like the opening scene (or scenes) in a movie.

Basically, the setup answers the “Who?”, “What?”, “Where?”-type questions of your story.

But more importantly…

Every story needs an “inciting incident:” Some EVENT that kicks of the confrontation, conflict, or quest that will come in Act 2.

Just ask yourself, “What happened to put this story in motion?”

That’s your inciting incident.

To illustrate, I made up a story and wrote the setup:

“Doh!”

I couldn’t believe what had just happened.

When I got the news, I jumped up, grabbed the keys off my desk, and ran out of the office.

“The baby is coming!”

My wife had just gone into labor.

We prepared for this moment for weeks. The plan was to go home, grab the pre-packed bag, and meet my wife in the hospital.

But somehow, my mind stopped working…

So I arrived at the house – I’m about to be a father! I get out of the car, and rush to the front door.

“Oh shoot, where are my keys?”

So back to the car to grab the keys…

The only problem?

The car was locked. And the keys were inside.

Uh-oh! The keys are locked in the car – that’s the inciting incident.

This isn’t the greatest story ever told. But do you see how it works? You’re going to be at least a liiittle bit curious about what’s going to happen.

This marks the beginning of…

Act 2: Confrontation

Or as I like to call it, the CONFLICT.

In my made-up example, the conflict is pretty clear:

“How will this guy unlock his car and get to the hospital in time? Or will he?”

The rest of the story will answer that question.

Now here’s what makes this interesting… During the conflict, there’s usually a series of OBSTACLES to overcome. Because every story needs some kind of quest, challenge or problem to solve. Without that, it’s not a story, is it?

In our example, it could go like this:

I instantly reached for my phone… S%*t! It’s also locked in the car.

So I knock on the neighbor’s door… but no one’s home.

I try to stop a car that’s passing by… but I almost got run over!

But then there’s a TURNING POINT:

That’s when I remembered: There’s a bike behind the house!

This turning point is the second “plot twist.” It leads directly into…

Act 3: Resolution

…where the conflict gets resolved.

After a breakneck bike-ride through rush-hour traffic, our hero makes it to the hospital.. Just in time!

Do you see how it works?

The big question we set up in act 1 gets answered!

Of course, there are more intricacies to the perfect 3-act story. But that’s the basic structure. And there’s really no need to get more technical than this.

But now…

How are you going to use this in your content?

You don’t have to turn every blog post into a full-on story. But what you CAN do is add the ELEMENT of story to your content.

Especially at the BEGINNING of your blog posts, videos, social media updates etc.

I’ll explain.

The 3 Sentence Rule: Get to the Conflict… FAST!

The 3-sentence rule takes the 3-act structure… and CONDENSES IT.

Think of it as the 3-act structure “on steroids.”

This is powerful because attention spans online are short – and getting shorter.

So, how does it work?

Well, you don’t have to tell your WHOLE story in 3 sentences…

But you need to get to the conflict… FAST.

And you should be able to summarize it in 3 sentences.

Like this:

• Sentence 1: Context
• Sentence 2: Inciting incident
• Sentence 3: Conflict

Let me show you how I used the 3-sentence rule in THIS article…

In the first sentence I set up the story:

“So I’m running a mastermind group.”

In sentence 2 I described the inciting incident:

“One of the members was struggling with content creation.”

In sentence 3, I described the conflict:

“Our blog posts are informative. But how do we make them more engaging for our readers?”

It’s so meta!

Now you may say, “Derek, that’s not a story!”

Yeah. But do you recognize the story structure I used?

Plus, the point is:

You’re not trying to write a novel, right? That’s why the 3-sentence rule is a great way to start. It helps you get to the conflict – right away.

And that’s how you pull your audience in.

Let me show you a few more examples.

Example #1: Coffee Shop Stories

If you don’t follow me on Facebook, I share lots of stories there.

Coffee shop stories to be exact.

Here’s one:

“So I’m at the coffee shop…”

Okay, it’s 4 sentences. But do you see how I get to the conflict FAST?

There wasn’t much more to the story here. But this could work great as an intro to a blog post or another piece of longer-form content.

For example…

Example 2: My Fitness Journey

I recently wrote about my struggle with fitness as an entrepreneur.

Look how I started that blog post:

I got fat. So I fixed it.

“So I had a speaking engagement.”

“I went to button my blazer and the button popped off…”

“I was speaking at an event for personal trainers and everyone was fit except me.”

Setup. Inciting incident. Conflict.

When you follow the 3-sentence rule, you’ll be able to condense your stories to their essence.

Another example…

Example #3: “Do You Make This Mistake in Negotiations”

This is a recent blog post about how to negotiate.

Do you make this mistake in negotiations?

Again, all it takes is 3 short sentences:

“I was trying to sell a domain name.”

“Neither of us wanted to make the first offer.”

“We were at a standoff – here’s what happened.”

Remember, get to the conflict fast!

The thing that’s so great about stories like this is that it takes your content from the abstract to the concrete.

You see, I could have started the blog post with:

“Have you ever wondered who should make the first offer in a negotiation?”

But the story is WAY more engaging.

Don’t you think?

When you read my blog, you’ll see that I do this all the time.

I even do it on my sales pages.

Example #4: Seven Figure Courses

This example is from the sales page for one of my flagship trainings, Seven Figure Courses. Take a look:

And there I was. I was about to release my first online course, and the day before it went live, something terrible happened…

You might be thinking my computer blew up…

Or perhaps a family member got sick…

Or maybe my servers failed and I couldn’t process transactions…

Those would be easier problems to overcome.

The truth is, what I was dealing with was even worse…

It wasn’t a problem I could throw money or resources at to solve.

It wasn’t a problem that I could “think” my way out of.

It’s embarrassing to even talk about it now, but the truth is…

I got cold feet.

I was literally on the verge of canceling the entire launch. The feelings of self-doubt and fear completely overtook me.

It’s more than 3 sentences. That’s okay. The extra stuff just adds some drama.

When I first wrote it, I started with just 3 sentences.

“I was about to launch my course.”

“But then, something terrible happened: I got cold feet.”

“I didn’t know how to do you deal with the feelings of self-doubt and fear.”

You can flesh out your stories later. To get started, use the 3-sentence rule. Get to the conflict fast.

This is the best and easiest way you can make your boring content more engaging.

So now it’s your turn.

Can you add a story element to an existing blog post? Or can you share a new story on social media RIGHT NOW?

Use the 3-sentence rule.

Leave a comment and let me know how it goes.

And then, please do me a favor.

Do you know someone who’s trying to make their content more engaging?

Share this post with them now.

…and while I love Marie Kondo’s rule, I think you should take this one step further.

Don’t just apply it to the items in your life…

Apply it to the people in your life, too.

Right now.

Scroll through your contact list and ask yourself, “Does this person create joy in my life?”

If the answer is no, just delete their contact information.

Or, better yet, block them.

You can skip the whole part where Marie encourages you to thank the item (or person) in your life because it will create more headache for you.

Some may think this is cold-hearted. And maybe it is. But life is too short and it’s filled with many obstacles… real obstacles you can’t avoid… the last thing you need is a human being who makes you feel bad about yourself.

I’ve long shared “bits and pieces” of my story.

I grew up poor. My mom was on welfare. My dad was in jail. And I was surrounded by family members who were supposed to “support” me… but instead they only harmed me.

They’d steal money from my mom. One person lost a game of Monopoly, and responded by throwing me down a flight of stairs… at around 10 years old. And it was so much worse.

As I got older I realized I didn’t need to keep these people in my life. And, in my mid 20s, I cut them all out of my life.

I deleted all their contact information. I never responded to their phone calls or messages. And any time they were at a family event or gathering… I would opt out.

And I couldn’t be happier.

Now look at me. I’m a successful entrepreneur who has made millions of dollars on the internet…from home.

And while a lot went into my success, the fact that I cut these toxic people from my life is part of the reason why it was all possible.

Because when you start from nothing… you have insurmountable issues that prevent you from succeeding. You don’t have access to resources. You don’t have access to connections.

But what no one talks about is this:

if you finally beat those odds, the people who will be there to DRAG YOU BACK DOWN are those toxic people in your life.

It wasn’t easy, though. We are taught to believe “friends and family” matters. And it’s partially true. But when you are confronted with people who do not bring joy to your life… it’s 100% okay to toss them out of it.

Like an old shirt.

Share this with someone who needs to read this.

(She even got me to moonwalk on stage…)

This was one of my first speaking engagements about business and entrepreneurship. And I was a little stressed out about it.

Social Triggers was new. I had just began making a name for myself, and I was sharing the stage with people who were remarkable – like Ramit Sethi.

And there I was. The new kid. I gave my speech, and, as I walked off stage, a friend said, “MAN! You killed it!”

I thought about it for a second.

“I did okay, but there’s a lot I could have done better.”

And I fired off some of the things I thought I could have done better.

He fired back, “Why are you so hard on yourself? Everyone loved it! Just enjoy the moment!”

But here’s the deal…

When you start doing something new, everyone around you will give you the positive support they think you need…

To feel good about yourself.

But what if you take it to heart? What if you take the compliments and decided “I’m already good enough” and stop working towards getting better?

I know it sounds crazy, but this happens. A lot. People acquire SOME skill, get SOME praise, and all of a sudden… they think they know what the heck they are doing.

And this is why I believe compliments ruin people.

Compliments make people believe they are “good enough,” and people may lose the desire to get better.

The worst part?

As my friend Ryan Holiday wrote in Ego Is The Enemy, “We tend to be on guard against negativity, against the people who are discouraging us from pursuing our callings or doubting the visions we have for ourselves. This is certainly an obstacle to beware of, though dealing with it is rather simple. What we cultivate less is how to protect ourselves against the validation and gratification that will quickly come our way if we show promise. What we don’t protect ourselves against are people and things that make us feel good – or rather, too good.”

You see, we all know to guard ourselves from real negativity and criticism. But few people know to watch out for positivity and the detrimental effect it can have on our desire to get better.

And that’s why I prefer criticism over compliments.

What are your thoughts?

You see, like most artists, he got the “itch” early on, but he abandoned his craft for a much more stable career move – pharmacy school.

He didn’t last long though, and he soon dropped out to launch a clothing company.

He shares everything on this new Social Triggers Insider podcast, and here’s why I’m excited to share this with you:

Marc Ecko’s Secrets to Success in Business

Here are 5 reasons why you should listen to this podcast today:

1. This isn’t some “rosy” tale of crazy success. Yes, he built one of the largest clothing companies, but he flirted with failure and beat it. It’s inspiring.

2. He’s a commercial artist. He never “sold out,” but he did turn his art into a successful business. All business owners should take note.

3. If you’ve ever stressed about designs or logos, you’ll see what Marc Ecko – the street artist – thinks about logos. It might surprise you.

4. Have you ever thought, “It’s gotta be hard to build a business based on creativity?” If yes, you’ll see how Marc Ecko makes it sound like anyone can do it.

5. And more.

Download audio file (16-Social-Triggers-How-Street-Artist-Marc-Ecko-Launched-A-Billion-Dollar-Clothing-Company.mp3)

“Logos are guns without ammo” – Marc Ecko – Click to Tweet

When you’re done, leave a comment sharing your BIGGEST insight – and how it’s going to help you.

Or, have you ever walked away from pursuing one of your dreams because you went after what you thought was “more stable?” What happened? Share your story as inspiration!

Also, one more thing…

As I mentioned on the podcast, Marc Ecko has a new book out. It’s called Unlabel: Selling You Without Selling Out.

I received an advanced copy and read it in like 2 days. It was a book I just couldn’t put down. If you’re a creative, and you’re looking to make a living from your work, I believe this book will be the book you reference for years to come.

So, I highly suggest you pick up the book here on Amazon. That’s an affiliate link, but trust me – it’s not for the commissions. I use book sale numbers to ensure I continue to land the BEST guests on Social Triggers Insider. Period.

I should also note: By now, as a Social Triggers subscriber, you probably know I’m an avid reader, successfully reading a few books each week. And I can honestly say this is one of the better books I’ve read in the last 12 months.

Did you know Social Triggers Insider is now on iTunes? If you enjoy this series, please take a few seconds and leave an honest review. There are 317 of them and we need to hit 350!

Right click this link to save the audio as a MP3 file to your computer

The transcript for this podcast is not available… yet. Please check back.

Social Triggers is hiring an online training course product developer. More details right here

And I always say the same thing.

GET A JOB.

If you’re thinking about starting a business, and the first thing that pops into your head is, “How can I do it without spending a dime?”

Let’s just cut the crap and fast forward 6 months.

You will fail.

I understand you’ve seen other irresponsible entrepreneurs talk about how easy it is to start a business with no budget.

And maybe you’ve even seen some case studies from people that say something like, “YEA BUT I STARTED WITH NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND LOOK AT ME! IM SUCCESSFUL!”

It’s called survivorship bias.

You only hear from the people who succeeded. What about the other people who failed?

“But Derek, I’m sure it’s possible, right?”

Sure.

It is possible.

But here’s the problem:

If you’re thinking about starting a business and the first thing you’re thinking about is “how do I do it with no money?”

You’re thinking about the wrong things.

You need to think about your CUSTOMER.

What are you going to do for them that makes their life better? More enriched? More fulfilling?

SOLVE THAT PROBLEM!

And you won’t regret it.

Now do me a favor.

Share this.

And tell me what you think in the comment section.

Also, if you want more REAL commentary about entrepreneurship, follow me on Instagram. I keep things much less intense, and more “behind the scenes” over there.

Yes.

I’m alive.

But I’ve been missing in action.

Why?

I co-founded a company called Truvani. We create high quality supplements made from real food products.

So far we launched 4 products.

1. Daily Turmeric Supplement
2. Organic Chicken Bone Broth Powder
3. Chocolate Plant-Based Protein Powder
4. Marine Collagen Powder (with Type 1, Type 2, Type 3 Collagen).

Check out the Truvani Store here.

What makes us different?

I had a conversation with our head of manufacturing, and he said, “I’ve been in this industry for a while. No one tests their ingredients for safety as much as Truvani.”

It’s expensive. It’s tedious. And it’s 100% worth it.

I mean, just look at the reviews. Our plant-based protein powder, for example, has 828 reviews with an average review rating of 5 stars (it’s a little lower than 5, but it rounds up :-D).

What do other people think about Truvani? Well…

Living Maxwell – Truvani Review

Anne Marie Gianni – Truvani Review

And you can see Truvani on Amazon.

This may seem “out of left field.”

But, it’s not.

Ever since I wrote about my personal health journey last year, I’ve been interested in health.

And then, the stars aligned.

For years my friend Vani Hari and I have talked about getting into health products. But the timing wasn’t right. Not for me. Not for her.

Then you might remember I wrote about “being burned out” earlier this year.

So, I made the internal decision to stop creating new online courses.

And man – things are going great.

On the health front…

We shipped our first product back in March.

We launched our second product in May.

We launched our third product in July.

We launched our fourth product in September.

It’s all pretty crazy.

I ran an online teaching business. A software business. And now, I’m running a health-based business.

When you focus on learning how to make yourself (and your products), the skills can transcend any industry.

I could share more about this, but I know you’re here for business advice.

Now, you might be wondering why I chose this market, and I wanted to take you inside my thought process… Because I think it can help you come up with your own ideas.

1. I wanted to do something I actually cared about…

Now, I don’t know about you, but I cared about a lot of things, but when faced with the question, “What do you care about?” I was coming up blank.

So, I followed the money trail.

I took a look at how I spent money, and I realized that I spent a lot on organic, clean products. I clearly cared about it enough to spend on it.

Action step: If you are looking for something you’re passionate about, look at how you spend your money.

2. I wanted to do something that could be a HUGE opportunity…

Once I saw what I cared about, I did some research. And I saw that the clean, organic, health and wellness industry was growing fast.

This was important. I prefer to enter into a business vertical that’s growing vs shrinking. It’s easier to grow, and it’s also easier to disrupt.

Action Step: Find something that has a proven market that’s GROWING. “Unique” ideas that have no competition are the WORST business ideas.

And that’s when self doubt creeped in.

“I never did this before”

“I have no experience”

But I said screw it. Let me see what happens.

And man.

I took some lumps early on: Manufacturing delays, Missed launch dates, Ingredient sourcing problems, and the list goes on.

“But what about your online courses!”

Well…

I already created an online course that solves all the key problems of starting and growing an online business.

I could rename things, and make it sound new, but that would be a “scammy” thing to do. Repackaging the same ideas under new names just to land a sale never felt right to me. I won’t do it.

These courses are already remarkable. And they solve the problems that they are supposed to solve. And it can work in most industries.

And now, I get to practice what I preach.

P.S. I’m a dad now.

Best case, it’s just annoying. For you AND for your customers.

Worst case…

You have to deal with people that EXPLOIT your policies. These people have no intention of buying. It’s borderline stealing.

The good news is:

I just read interesting new research that may help you reduce customer returns by up to 37%.

Why Your Return Policy Is More Important Than Ever

First, let me ask you a question:

Are refunds and returns always a bad thing?

From a sales perspective, the answer is:

No.

I’ll explain.

If your return rate is 0% you’re leaving money on the table. “NO returns” means you’re not selling to people who are on the fence about buying.

And that’s bad.

Because 80% of your sales are going to come from people who are not totally certain they’ll love your product.

So, if you sell only to the people that already know they’ll love your product, you’re missing out on the bulk of buyers that will always have some doubt remaining when they buy.

That’s also why your refund policy is so important. In fact, it’s more important today than it ever was…

Look, most people EXPECT a lenient return policy.

A recent UPS survey proves this:

Apparently, 66% of online shoppers look for a retailer’s return policy before they buy. And 88% of those people won’t buy unless you offer free returns.

So, it’s no surprise the de-facto standard in e-commerce is to offer free returns:

Example: ASOS free returns

Example: Macy’s free shipping and free returns

And it’s smart. A persuasive guarantee can increase sales by up to 300%. The problem is that some people take advantage of these policies…

The worst? People that buy WITH THE INTENTION of only using your product once… and then return it. I HATE these people. Because really, how is that different from stealing?

Then there are people that order a bunch of stuff just to check it out. Still kind of annoying. But I get it: When customers buy something like clothes online, they’ll want to try them on for size. As a store owner, it’s a smart policy to give people that opportunity.

However…

Depending on what you sell online, you have to deal with an absurdly high rate of returns.

Of course, this is not a new phenomenon:

The Wall Street Journal reported that as much as 30% of all online purchases are returned.

So what can you do?

Is This the New Way of Reducing Absurdly High Return-Rates?

You may find this new research helpful if you want to reduce your return rate…

In a study published in the Journal of Psychology & Marketing, researchers from the University of Eichstätt‐Ingolstadt and the University of Luxembourg presented the following idea:

The present research introduces a keep reward (i.e., providing incentives to keep a product) as a new promotion strategy to improve the conventional lenient policy.

Interesting!

What if you gave people a “Keep Reward”?

In other words, an incentive to NOT send back the items they ordered.

Hmm… Could this ever make sense? Will people keep a product – even if they’re not fully satisfied – because of a small reward?

What’s fascinating about the idea is that it doesn’t take away any of the sales benefits of a lenient return policy or guarantee.

Meaning: You could still offer free returns AND a reward. That way, customers can still make purchase decisions with little or no risk. The researchers actually tested and were able to confirm this.

But back to reducing returns…

Does a Keep Reward actually work?

To find out, the researchers ran 2 studies.

In the first study, they gave people a written scenario:

Participants had to imagine that they want to buy a new summer outfit. Specifically, a pair of pants and a T-shirt.

To test the idea of a Keep Reward, some people were told that they’d get free shipping on their next order if they keep all items.

The result?

The Keep Reward reduced the intention to return by 37%.

So, this first experiment seems to confirm the theory: A reward can reduce customer returns.

But does this work in the real world? Yes. It’s almost exactly what the personal shopping service StitchFix does:

Stitch Fix works as a subscription service. Every time you buy all the items they send you, you get a 25% discount.

Now, it’s not exactly the same as in the study. Because remember: The “free shipping” incentive in the study specifically rewarded FUTURE PURCHASES.

This is not to say, the discount on the current purchase won’t work. But it’s important to notice the difference…

Here’s why:

To confirm the findings of the first study, the researchers ran another experiment…

And in the second study, the context was slightly different:

This time, participants were asked to imagine buying a leather cell phone case. And in this scenario people had to imagine that 1) the case fits their phone perfectly but that 2) they don’t like the case 100%.

Again, the study tested the same Keep Reward: free shipping on the next order. But this time…

It didn’t work!

The Keep Reward actually made it worse!

Huh? What happened?

Why Incentives Can Help (Or Hurt) Your Return Rate

The researchers were able to test and explain the conflicting results of the 2 studies.

How?

Well, further analysis showed that the Keep Reward actually DID work in the phone case example, too… BUT ONLY for FREQUENT SHOPPERS.

And it makes sense:

If you buy often, free shipping on the next purchase is a nice incentive. And the more frequently someone buys, the bigger the effect. But if you buy less frequently, the reward may come off as a manipulative persuasion trick – and people DON’T like being tricked.

So, buying frequency matters.

But here’s what’s still kind of weird:

Why did the Keep Reward work across the board in the first study?

The difference lies in the TYPE of product.

In the first study, the product was clothing – probably the industry most plagued by excessive returns. In the second study, the product was a phone case…

When someone buys clothing online, there’s always the issue of things not fitting right. With a product like a phone case, that problem doesn’t exist. Now, people might still return an item like a phone case, but it’s much less likely.

To quote the research paper:

The results suggest that a keep reward is most powerful in this return-sensitive industry.

In other words, the more likely people are to exploit a lenient return policy for a certain product, the more effective a Keep Reward should be in reducing return rates.

Here’s what this all means for you…

What These Results Mean For You

A Keep Reward is a fascinating idea if you want to reduce customer returns. Especially if people tend to EXPLOIT a lenient policy at your cost.

But you need to be careful not to make things worse with the wrong incentive…

In the end, you’ll have to test if this works for you. Based on this early research, here’s what you need to think about:

Are you in an industry that’s plagued by excessive return-rates?

If the answer is yes, a Keep Reward may work for you. There are different incentives you could test: free shipping, a coupon for the next purchase, or a free gift with the next order.

Also, consider this:

It will work best for low- to mid-priced products. Why? Well, for a $25 T-Shirt a $5 free shipping coupon makes a difference. For higher-priced items, a low reward might not have an effect, and a high reward might not be financially feasible.

If you do implement a Keep Reward, it’s best to be upfront about it. Both for legal and general transparency reasons (you should check with a lawyer when you update your return policy).

But remember, you need to be careful!

If you’re not dealing with a crazy high return rate across the board, you MUST differentiate between frequent buyers and non-frequent buyers.

And the Keep Reward should be applied ONLY to frequent buyers.

For example, you could make it part of your loyalty program. That way, you can reduce your return rate, and people who only buy once won’t feel discriminated.

Cool?

Now I’d like like to hear from you:

What do you think about the idea of a Keep Reward?

Do you think it can work in your business?

Leave a comment and let me know.

So, I stopped taking breaks because I thought I could get MORE done.

The problem?

My productivity completely tanked.

Something needed to change.

And I had a lot of questions… Like, how do breaks help or hurt your productivity? How do you take an effective break?

Here’s what I found…

Taking a break = being lazy?

I used to believe that taking a break = being lazy.

As it turns out, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

And still.

Taking a break at work is kind of taboo.

And let’s face it. No one wants to be called lazy.

Now, I’m also a bit of a workaholic. But as I watched my productivity tank while I was working harder and harder… I realized something needed to change.

So I looked into the science of taking breaks.

As you’ll see below, the evidence is pretty clear:

Taking a break at work is good for your productivity.

But there are many unanswered questions:

When should you take a break? How often? How long? What should you do during your break? And more.

I’ll answer all your questions about taking breaks here.

You’ll notice that the questions and answers are organized into 3 parts.

Part 1 will answer all your questions about the benefits of taking breaks. So, if you’re still doubting that breaks are good for your productivity, start there.

Part 2 is all about HOW to take effective breaks. How many? How long? What to do DURING your break. And more.

Part 3 is where you’ll find practical advice about how to make regular breaks part of your daily routine.

Specifically, you’ll find answers to the following questions:

1. “Taking breaks is good for my productivity… Really?!”
2. “Why is it important to take breaks at work?”
3. “How does taking a break affect my brain?”
4. “What are the most important benefits of taking a break at work?”
5. “Does Taking a Break Help Me Make Better Decisions?”
6. “How does taking a break affect creativity?”
7. “How will breaks affect my ability to focus?”
8. “How will taking a break affect my memory?”
9. “How do breaks help me reach my goals?”
10. “How often should I take a break?”
11. “How long should my break be?”
12. “What should I do during my break?”
13. “Should I browse the internet during my breaks?”
14. “How much should I move during my break?”
15. “Should I workout during my break?”
16. “Should I take a nap during my break?”
17. “Should I try to meditate on my break?”
18. “(What) Should I eat and drink during my break?”
19. “Should I take a coffee break?”
20. “So what are the best activities to do during my break?”
21. “I feel guilty about taking breaks. What should I do?”
22. “What if I don’t have time to take a break?”
23. “What if I can’t take a break right now?”
24. “How can I make breaks a regular part of my routine?”
25. “What tools can I use to help me take breaks?”

Cool?

Let’s jump in.

Part 1: The Benefits of Taking Breaks

I experienced first hand how NOT taking any breaks at work hurt my productivity.

I was working long days, non-stop.

But when I looked at what I actually got done… The effort and time I put in didn’t seem to justify the work I got done.

Why was I so “unproductive”?

As it turns out, I wasn’t giving my brain the time to rest that it needs.

“Taking breaks is good for my productivity… Really?!”

The short answer is…

Yes, really.

In a 2013 article, the New York Times wrote:

A new and growing body of multidisciplinary research shows that strategic renewal — including daytime workouts, short afternoon naps, longer sleep hours, more time away from the office and longer, more frequent vacations — boosts productivity, job performance and, of course, health.

However…

Science ALSO says that there are a right and a wrong way to take a break.

The answers to the questions below will help you get the most out of your downtime.

“Why is it important to take breaks at work?”

It’s important because of what happens if you DON’T take breaks: Your productivity goes downhill… FAST.

The truth is: Humans are not wired to concentrate for 8+ hours on end. So, it’s no surprise that (on average) in an 8-hour workday, people are productive for only 3 hours or so.

Plus, not taking breaks comes with other negative effects:

• Decision fatigue
• Lack of focus
• Damaged eyes

The good news is:

As behavioral scientist Nir Eyal explains, the right kind of breaks can counter these negative effects. Good breaks reduce mental fatigue, boost brain function, and help us stay focused.

But taking too many breaks can backfire, too… Because when you take the wrong kind of breaks it actually gets HARDER to focus.

So, if you want to get more done, you need to make sure you take effective breaks during your workday.

That’s just how our brain works…

“How does taking a break affect my brain?”

Most of us are knowledge workers – we “think for a living.” And the thinking part of our brain is the prefrontal cortex:

The prefrontal cortex is where our focus, decision making, and logical thinking happens. That’s pretty much what most of us do all day. So, no wonder our brain needs a break!

It turns out, though, our brain isn’t doing “nothing” when we rest…

Research from the University of Southern California that suggests that our brain uses the downtime to make important connections that shape our identity and social behavior – things like recalling personal memories, imagining the future, and developing a code of ethics.

That’s why giving your brain a chance to rest is crucial.

Specifically, here are the most important, scientifically-backed benefits:

“What are the most important benefits of taking a break at work?”

When you DON’T take breaks it’s bad for your productivity… and health.

On the flipside…

When you DO take breaks, there are lots of advantages.

Here’s a quick summary of the most important benefits:

• Taking regular breaks will help you make better decisions (by thinking more clearly)
• Breaks spark creative ideas and new solutions
• Taking breaks helps you stay focused over long periods of time
• Breaks can help you retain information in memory (important for studying or rehearsing a speech etc.)
• Taking short breaks every now and then help you re-focus on your big-picture goals.

How do you take advantage of all of this?

By taking the right number, length, and type of break.

“Does Taking a Break Help Me Make Better Decisions?”

Yes! Here’s why…

Breaks prevent decision fatigue:

As you work, you constantly have to make decisions. But this actually wears down our willpower and ability to think clearly.

For example, one famous study showed:

Judges were less and less likely to grant parole to prisoners later in the day. Decision fatigue explains why this happens… Without taking breaks, the judges were more likely to go with the easiest decision: just say no.

That’s tragic in this case. But it applies to ALL decisions. Decisions wear us down over time.

So, if you want to make better decisions, make sure you take regular breaks.

“How does taking a break affect creativity?”

Breaks serve as creative fuel.

I’ll explain.

Being creative means connecting the dots. Specifically, connecting “dots” that you didn’t think about connecting before…

Say, you’re stuck trying to figure out a problem. A quick walk to the around the block can spark an idea for the solution.

Maybe you read a funny slogan on a billboard. Maybe you overhear a conversation while you wait in line. Maybe a conversation with a friend turns into the Aha-moment that will get you unstuck.

The point is:

Most of us, when we’re working, are focused on “output.” Kind of like I’m writing this article right now: I’m focused on putting the words on the screen. BUT…

Without input, it’s much harder to create quality output.

The good news is that even a short “change of state” in the form of a break can be the creative input you need.

That’s why taking breaks is important if you want to be more creative and come up with new solutions.

“How will breaks affect my ability to focus?”

It’s getting harder and harder to stay focused at work…

…but taking breaks can help.

People used to think concentration is about “forcing” yourself to stay focused. But a recent study from the University of Illinois BUSTS that myth.

First, the scientists confirmed what you already know from experience: if you have to focus on a single task for a long time, after a while, your performance gets worse and worse.

The solution? Psychology professor Alejandro Lleras explains:

“Deactivating and reactivating your goals allows you to stay focused”

In other words…

Taking breaks helps you stay focused.

Staying focused on one task for a long time is something humans haven’t been doing for too long. So, our minds just aren’t used to it.

For this reason, the best thing to do if you need to concentrate for a long time is NOT to try and force yourself to stay focused…

…but to impose short, mental breaks on yourself.

“How will taking a break affect my memory?”

There’s evidence that taking breaks helps us form memories. The brain uses the downtime to review and store new information.

But what if you need to remember a lot of new information over a few days? For example, studying for a test or preparing for a presentation.

How should you structure your “study” sessions?

Well, it depends…

New research by David F. Little of Northwestern University suggests that there’s a “memory threshold:”

If you take a long break before you reach that threshold, you won’t remember as much. So, you’re better off NOT taking a break.

So…

DON’T study for 20 minutes, take a 30-minute break and then study for another 20 minutes. You’d be better off powering through the 40 minutes without a break.

However…

Taking lots of mini-breaks might be even better. In the study, the group that took 5 mini-breaks in 40 minutes performed best.

“How do breaks help me reach my goals?”

You might worry that when you take a break you’ll lose momentum.

There’s some truth to that.

When I’m in the zone, I like to keep going…

The problem?

When you work for too long without taking a break, you might lose track of what you’re actually trying to do. Researchers called this effect “goal habituation.”

The solution science suggests is “goal reactivation”… by taking short breaks every now and then.

Part 2: How to take Effective Breaks

As we’ve seen, the evidence of the benefits of taking breaks at work is pretty clear.

But let’s dig a little deeper into HOW to take effective breaks…

For example:

• How often should you take a break?
• How long should your breaks be?
• What should you do during your breaks?

You’ll find the answer to those questions below.

“How often should I take a break?”

Our focus, energy, and motivation moves in “waves.”

(Biologists call it Chronobiology.)

That’s probably why I always hit a slump around 3 pm…

How can taking breaks help?

Well, your break schedule should match that rhythm.

Tony Schwartz, the author of The Power of Full Engagement, calls this “pulse and pause.” And, he found that humans tend to move from full focus to fatigue every 90 minutes.

Now…

Many studies have looked at the optimal break-schedule.

The results differ slightly. But as you’ll see, the sweet spot seems to be somewhere between 30 minutes and 90 minutes:

• The University of Illinois study cited before suggest taking a break once every hour.
• Inc. Magazine suggests a break every 60-90 minutes.
• Time-tracking app Desktime says it’s best to take a break every 52 minutes (followed by a 17-minute break).
• Based on the study of professional musicians, Robert Pozen of the MIT Sloan School of Management suggests taking a break every 75 to 90 minutes.
• The popular Pomodoro Technique promotes taking a break every 25 minutes (followed by a 3-5 minute break and then a 15-30 minute break every 90 minutes or so)

But it’s not about the exact number of minutes…

How often you should take a break also depends on the TYPE of work you need to do.

For example:

If you can stay fully focused for 90 minutes as you write, keep the momentum for as long as you can.

If your thoughts start to wander after 20 minutes of reading, it’s better to take a short break. Give your focus-muscle a chance to relax. Just a few minutes later, you’ll come back fresh.

(Remember: the brain needs time to consolidate new information.)

“How long should my break be?”

Remember, our bodies naturally go through an ebb and flow of high and low energy. Ideally, you want to take advantage of that.

So, what is the ideal length of your work breaks?

After reviewing all the studies and research that’s out there, here’s my best advice:

Take SHORT breaks – say 5 to 15 minutes – every hour or so. Take a longer break – at least 30 minutes – every 2 to 4 hours (depending on your task).

I know that’s pretty broad…

But unless you want to follow a super strict schedule, based on all the research, that’s the best advice I can give.

For a more exact schedule you could follow one of these methods:

• Take a 17-minute break every 52 minutes (see the Desktime study)
• Take a 5-minute break every 25 minutes (following the Pomodoro Technique)
• As a general rule: Take a 15-minute break for every hour of focused work.

Just remember to take a longer break every 2-4 hours, too.

Another thing to remember is that top performers don’t necessarily spend more total time “working.”

But they DO spend more time completely focused.

For example…

Researcher K. Anders Ericsson found that top performers (including musicians, athletes, etc.) rarely work for more than four and a half hours per day! However they engage in so-called “deliberate practice.”

James Clear gives a good definition:

Deliberate practice refers to a special type of practice that is purposeful and systematic. While regular practice might include mindless repetitions, deliberate practice requires focused attention and is conducted with the specific goal of improving performance.

It’s easy to see why breaks are crucial for this. Remember, taking a break helps your mind to stay focused and re-focus on your goals.

Here’s my personal focus routine to get into the zone.

“What should I do DURING my break?”

So, the ability to focus is what makes you more productive while you work. And taking breaks is crucial but…

What should you do during your break?

In short: Anything that gives your brain a chance to relax.

Hengchen Dai from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania says:

“Based on past research, we would expect that the more relaxed and disengaged from work people feel during a break, the more likely they will be to benefit from taking time off.”

So, you shouldn’t to any work on your break.

Duh.

But this is important…

It’s tempting do easy tasks that don’t require your full attention during your break… don’t.

Science clearly says:

If you want to be more productive overall, don’t work during your break!

The whole goal of taking a break is to shift your attention. In fact, the goal is to stop concentrating at all.

So let’s look at some specific things you can do during your break. Should you go for a walk? Should you drink coffee? Should you take a nap?

I’ll answer those questions next.

“Should I browse the internet during my breaks?”

Yes and no.

I’ll explain.

On the one hand, you want to completely take your mind off of work. And scrolling through Instagram or watching your favorite YouTube vlogger can certainly do the trick.

But there’s a downside to goofing off online during your break, too…

The problem is that non-stop social media use increases stress. And it gets worse. The Harvard Business Review reports that social media can also hurt your ability to focus and learn.

Basically, your brain gets hooked on instant gratification of seeing the next Instagram picture. And then another one. And another one.

This makes it harder and harder to focus on things that’s not immediately as rewarding. You know, things like doing your job.

There’s also a South Korean study that shows that tech-free breaks “increase vigor and reduce emotional exhaustion.”

So ideally, you want to stay away from your screen.

Now…

I can’t say I don’t browse the internet on my breaks.

But would I recommend it?

No.

“How much should I move during my break?”

When I had a health scare a couple of years ago, my doc told me to do one thing:

Walk.

Ever since then, I walk everywhere.

I do walking meetings. I make all my phone calls when I walk around NYC. We even did a Walking Challenge here at Social Triggers to get people to walk more.

So, needless to say, I believe walking is a GREAT thing to do during your break.

Walking is essential for your physical and emotional health. It reduces stress and boosts creativity.

The good news is:

You don’t have to exhaust yourself.

A short 5 minute walk is enough.

If you can, walk outside. Spending time in nature is ideal.

But really, the big benefit comes from getting up…

Sitting all day is TERRIBLE for your health.

That’s why just a little bit of movement during your break is so good for you. And that’s even beyond all the positive effects of taking a break in the first place.

So, you don’t have to move a lot. But it’s important that you do.

“Should I workout during my break?”

As I mentioned, to get the benefit of an effective break, you don’t need to move a lot.

Does that mean you shouldn’t workout during your break?

No.

You absolutely can.

Studies have shown that a moderate level of cardio activity can boost creativity and productivity for upt to two hours.

“Almost every dimension of cognition improves from 30 minutes of aerobic exercise.”

There’s a slight catch, though… If you don’t work out regularly, you might be exhausted rather than refreshed form the workout.

But remember:

The good news is you don’t need to work out that hard. A short walk is enough to get the benefit of taking a break AND reduce the negative effects of sitting all day.

Exercise also reduces stress and anxiety. But I don’t have to explain why staying fit is good for your productivity…

“Should I take a nap during my break?”

Sciences says…

Yes.

The power of a good nap is undeniable:

• Research on pilots shows that a 26-minute in-flight nap (yes, there was a copilot lol) enhanced performance by 34% and overall alertness by 54%.
• A study published in Nature Neuroscience tested how naps affect our perception throughout the day. People who took a 30-minute stayed more alert (a 60-minute nap was even better).
• A 2012 study found that a daily, 10- or 20-minute nap can significantly increase productivity and academic focus.

Now, the important follow-up question is…

How long should you nap for?

Based on the expert guide on naps by Jennifer Ackerman (who also wrote Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body), you have 3 options:

• Take a short, 20-minute nap: A quick “cat nap” should make you more alert, help you concentrate, and give your mood a little boost. If you want to give yourself an extra boost, drink a cup of coffee right before… The caffeine will kick in right as you get back to work.
• Take a 45-minute nap (but not more!): Naps of up to 45 minutes will also include REM sleep. This means you should see even more benefits from your nap (like a boost in creative thinking).
• Take a loooong (90- to 120-minutes) nap: This will give you enough time to go through a full sleep cycle. So, you won’t have to deal with sleep inertia.

But be careful. When you nap…

Beware of sleep inertia.

If you sleep more than 45 minutes but not long enough to go through a full sleep-cycle, it might take you a long time to be fully awake again.

“Should I try to meditate on my break?”

Okay, I’ve tried meditating… but I can’t do it.

That’s not to say, there are no benefits. And it’s definitely a great idea to do it during your breaks.

Remember, the goal is to completely disconnect your brain from work. When you meditate, ideally, that’s what you’ll experience.

The best practice for meditating during a break is to do it during one of your longer breaks. Say, your lunch-break.

“(What) Should I eat and drink during my break?”

Our brains basically run on glucose:

The brain lacks fuel stores and hence requires a continuous supply of glucose.

That’s why it’s a great idea to fuel your brain during your breaks.

Here a are some ideas for healthy snacks:

• Almonds
• Fresh fruit or dried fruit
• Protein bar
• Wasabi peas
• Hummus and veggies
• Kale chips
• Tomato juice
• Yogurt
• Apples and peanut butter

So, go ahead and use your break as an opportunity to have a snack. Or vice versa…

Use your urge to snack as an opportunity to take a break!

“Should I take a coffee break?”

Should you actually drink coffee during your coffee break?

As it turns out, yes, there’s evidence that drinking coffee is good for your productivity… Caffeine keeps you alert, it can reduce stress, and keep you active.

Now, let’s say you take 2 coffee breaks. And let’s say you wake up between 6 am and 8 am…

When should you take your coffee breaks?

Apparently, the perfect time for your first coffee break is between 9:30 am and 11:30 am. Then, your second coffee break should be between 1:30 pm and 5:30 pm.

Oh and remember: You can drink coffee right before you take a 20-minute nap, too. That way, when you wake up, you’ll get the jolt of caffeine at the perfect time.

Now…

It looks like drinking coffee is pretty good for your productivity. But whether you like to drink coffee, water, or tea, there’s another benefit of the typical “coffee break:”

It’s often a good opportunity meet and talk to people.

So, let’s summarize…

“So what are the best activities to do during my break?”

Remember:

The goal of your breaks should be to fully detach from work – even if it’s just for a moment.

So, I’ll say it again… Don’t try to combine your break with another stressful activity. Don’t do “light work” like checking emails. If you’re chatting with someone, don’t talk about work issues.

In his book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, Dan Pink cites a South Korean study to prove this point:

“Psychological detachment from work, in addition to physical detachment, is crucial, as continuing to think about job demands during breaks may result in strain.”

With that in mind, what are some good activities to do during your break?

How about you…

• Go for a short walk – sitting all day is bad for you. Moving is better than being stationary.
• Go outside – spending time in nature will boost your creativity and ability to focus.
• Stretch – whatever you need to do to get a moment to relax
• Take a nap – the power of a good nap is undeniable.
• Daydream – the less you’re concentrating, the better (it will ease stress and boost your mood).
• Declutter your desk or doodle – this should get your mind off work for a moment (and help you come back re-focused).
• Talk to people – friends and co-workers
• Give your eyes a break – Look away from your screen for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes (the 20-20-20 rule)
• Have a snack/take a coffee break – your brain needs fuel to work properly.

Whatever you do, the qualities of a good break remain the same. To summarize…

Do something that will…

• Shift your focus away from work
• Get your eyes off the screen
• Get you out of your chair (and moving just a little bit)
• Give your brain a chance to truly relax
• Allow you to interact with other people

Cool?

Cool.

Now that you know how to take effective breaks, how do you actually make this part of your daily routine?

If you have questions about that, I’ll answer them in part 3 now.

Part 3: How to Implement Good Breaks in Your Workday

If you doubted that breaks are important, I hope you see now that they are.

And if you’ve wondered how to take effective breaks and what to do DURING your breaks… now you know.

But how do you make this part of your workday. Every day?

The first problem is that most people feel GUILTY about taking any kind of break:

According to one study, only 25% of people take more than a lunch break. Most people just “power through” their 8+ hours of work.

This is based on a deep rooted belief…

Many cultures just see taking breaks as being lazy.

But as we’ve seen, that’s not true.

So why do we still feel guilty about taking breaks?

“I feel guilty about taking breaks. What should I do?”

The first thing you should do is…

Stop feeling guilty about taking breaks.

Easier said than done, I know.

But at least now, you have all the evidence that proves: Taking breaks actually makes you MORE productive.

Depending on the work you do, it can be critical that you take enough breaks. Which reminds me of a recent uber driver…

He told me, “man, I’ve been driving for 12 hours. I’m gonna call it quits for the day soon.” Lol. Yeah, you probably should.

Or take the study that found that doctors stop washing their hands as the day goes on if they don’t take enough breaks.

Or let me remind you of top athletes that only practice for 3-4 hours a day. The difference is… They’re highly focused WHEN they work.

I’m not saying you need to take a 90-minute nap every day.

But if you do, that’s okay, too.

As long as it helps you come back to work with fresh focus, better mood, and more motivation, there’s absolutely no need to feel guilty about taking a break.

But don’t take it from me…

Tony Schwartz is the head of the productivity consulting firm The Energy Project (they advise companies like Google, Facebook, and Apple). Schwartz put it best in a recent Fortune interview:

“When demand in our lives intensifies, we tend to hunker down and push harder (…) The trouble is that, without any downtime to refresh and recharge, we’re less efficient, make more mistakes, and get less engaged with what we’re doing.”

The next problem with taking breaks?

People think they just can’t afford to take a break…

“What if I don’t have time to take a break?”

“I don’t have time” is maybe the biggest lie we tell ourselves.

Now, I get that there are times where things get crazy. You feel like there’s just NO WAY you can take even 15 minutes to relax.

But remember TWO things:

First…

Something is better than nothing.

Even a micro-break can help you refocus.

Second…

NOT taking any breaks will make you LESS productive.

That’s the weird thing.

To quote Dan Pink, who wrote When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing:

I used to power through breaks, for whatever reason. My view was that amateurs took breaks and professionals didn’t. That’s just diametrically, 100 percent erroneous. Professionals take breaks, amateurs don’t take breaks. I started thinking about breaks as part of my performance, not as a deviation from my performance, and you should, too.

Yes! Remind yourself of this next time you feel like you have too much to do to take a break…

Professionals take breaks.

“What if I can’t take a break right now?”

Okay…

Let’s say you REALLY can’t take a break right now.

But you’re losing focus. What can you do?

If possible, I suggest you switch tasks.

This will allow you to change your focus. It can almost feel like you’re taking a break. Because you are… sort of. You’re using a different part of your brain.

Speaking of switching tasks:

I recently read an interesting story about Elon Musk. Apparently, he breaks up his entire day into 5-minute slots.

If you’re actually THAT busy, dividing your day into smaller chunks can give your productivity a boost.

You don’t have to go as far as Musk. But how about 15- or 30-minute slots?

You’ll be surprised what you can achieve when you truly focus for half an hour. Then, you’ll feel like you have time for a break, too.

“How can I make breaks a regular part of my routine?”

So you want to make taking breaks a part of your routine.

That’s the GOAL.

But it can be difficult. Especially if you’re busy and driven like most entrepreneurs are. That’s why you need a system that automatically makes breaks a regular part of your day.

Here are 3 good approaches:

1. Schedule breaks on your calendar: If you’re working on a strict schedule, blocking time out for breaks on your calendar is your best bet – even if it’s just two 15-minute breaks.
2. Set a timer: If you do a lot of high-focus work, working in “sprints” seems the most productive approach. You can use some version of the Pomodoro Method and set a timer for 30-minutes, go with the 52-minute work and 17-minute break intervals, or whichever time is optimal for you.
3. Make a “break appointment:” If you’re having a hard time sticking to your break schedule, make an appointment with someone to take your breaks together. It’s a bit tricky to get on the same schedule. But this way you’ll have someone to remind you to take a break.

There are some great tools that can help you, too…

“What tools can I use to help me take breaks?”

There are lots of easy-to-use time-tracking apps.

Here are some popular apps:

• Focus Booster app
• DeskTime
• FlowTime
• Be Focused – Focus Timer

Honestly? They all do the same thing. Most of these are too fancy for me. I like to keep it simple and distraction-free.

That’s why my favorite tool is… Google.

Check it out:

Just type “set timer for [X] minutes” into your search bar.

You’ll have a timer running right there in your browser!

Or just put a reminder in your calendar:

Set it to repeat every day.

Give the apps above a try and see what works for you. If you want to keep it simple, use the timer on your phone and your calendar.

Any other questions about taking breaks?

I tried to answer all the common questions about taking breaks at work here.

If I missed something, let me know in the comments.

Also, tell me about your experience.

How does taking breaks affect your productivity?

Here 7 of my best tips to help you get what you want…

#1 Ask Yourself These 2 Questions…

You might think that in order to negotiate better you have to strong-arm people.

Like…

You walk into the room and DEMAND to get a better deal.

Ummm… no.

There’s no clever thing you can say to “force” anyone to do anything. Deals happen, when both sides WANT to make the deal. That’s what it means to create a win-win situation.

That’s why the “aggressive” approach doesn’t work. Plus, most people aren’t comfortable doing it anyway.

So what should you do instead?

If you want to strike a deal, the first thing you MUST do is this:

Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

Okay, but what does that mean exactly?

Well…

I suggest you ask yourself these TWO questions:

• Why are THEY looking to make a deal in the first place?
• How can you align your incentives with theirs?

Think about what the situation looks like from THEIR perspective. Then, you’ll be able to come up with a real win-win offer.

Let me give you an example.

Heidi Roizen wrote about a specific negotiation she had with Steve Jobs. They were negotiating the royalty rate for a software product.

Heidi’s first offer was 15%…

…but Jobs told her:

“Come back at 50%, or don’t come back”

At first, she was stunned. There was NO way she could make 50% work.

But then she talked to a colleague… and had a light-bulb moment.

She realized Jobs wanted to see 50% on the contract. But not for monetary reasons. The reason he wanted to see that number was “political:” He had promised people internally he’d get that rate.

So…

There was no way she could afford to pay 50% of her gross revenue. But she figured out a way to make a contract that said “50%” at the bottom.

Here’s how she explains it:

I had to make the business make sense financially. I just needed to make my 15% look like his 50%.

To do so, I reduced the nut to split by first deducting the cost of packaging, of technical support, the salaries for some developers on my side of the business to implement fixes, and when I still couldn’t get the math to pencil out, I added a $6 per unit ‘handling fee’ thanks to some inspiration from an infomercial on the Home Shopping Network. My new “Hollywood net” number read 50%, but fully-loaded it was pretty close to the 15% of gross I needed to make the deal work. Magic!

Everyone was happy and the deal got inked.

This goes to show:

Once you realize what people REALLY want, you can make more beneficial deals for everyone.

I talk about it in this video (plus, I share 2 more tips…):

#2 Should You Make the First Offer (or Wait)?

Did you watch the video above?

If you did, you’ll already know that you should always ask for MORE than you actually want.

Look, this is just smart: Whether you’re negotiating a raise, buying a car, or “negotiating” with your significant other…

You should always leave yourself some wiggle-room.

That way you can make sacrifices… and still get what you want.

Now, one common question is, though:

Should make the first offer or wait for the other party to say a number?

The answer might surprise you…

Because, contrary to popular belief, you SHOULD make the first offer: You’ll be more likely to arrive at a favorable result.

There’s fascinating science to back this up, too. I wrote about it and explained the psychological reason you should make the first offer.

#3 The “Good Vs. Really Bad” Technique

This next negotiation tip is all about framing.

I’ll explain.

Negotiations are always about options. For example:

• Buy vs. don’t buy
• Take the train vs. drive by car
• “Hire me” vs. “hire someone else”

To negotiate better you need to think about HOW you present these alternatives…

The clever technique I want to share is all about CONTRASTING a “good” option with a “really bad” option.

I made a video about this where I give you a good example. Oh… I also talk about the “apples to oranges” technique. Watch it here:

#4 Why I Sent $50 to a Stranger

In his book Unlabel: Selling Without Selling Out Marc Ecko talks about sending people “Swag Bombs.”

For example, he’d send gifts to radio hosts to get featured on their programs.

Yeah, you could call it a bribe, but it was tremendously effective.

Because here’s the thing:

Often the first step in a negotiation is to get people’s attention.

You need to get your foot in the door, show them that you’re serious, and make it clear there’s something in it for them…

So how do you do this?

Simple. Try to create some goodwill BEFORE you go into your negotiations. This will show people you’re not trying to steal their time or pull a fast one on them.

Just recently, I took this idea and used an old-school direct mail tactic when I was trying to buy a new domain…

I shared the story in my vlog here:

#5 Avoid The Biggest Negotiation Mistake

One of the secrets to negotiation is so simple it sounds silly.

Yey, it’s maybe the #1 negotiation mistake people make.

What is it?

People go into negotiations and they don’t even know what they want!

So, that’s the very first thing you need to get clear on:

Before you start negotiating, figure out what it is you want.

Once you know that, the real negotiation begins.

Now…

What do you do In order to GET what you want?

As counterintuitive as it sounds, the answer is:

You need to be willing to walk away.

Because the reality in most negotiations is that the side that cares LESS… wins.

I’ll explain.

Thinks of someone who can either sell their house or go into foreclosure. They NEED to sell. That’s not a good position for a negotiation.

That’s why many people in real estate look for houses in foreclosure. They’re often a great deal because the other side doesn’t have many options.

The question is:

How can you put yourself in a position where you’re willing to walk away?

You need to create options for yourself!

Whenever you’re in a negotiation and your life depends on it… you’re likely to get the short end of the stick.

But it’s different when you have options. Then, you can happily walk away. You won’t feel like you’re missing out.

The best part?

When you’re willing to walk away (because you have options)…

…the other party is more likely to reveal their REAL willingness to pay. Meaning, you’ll get the best possible deal.

So, the 3 steps to being a better negotiator are:

1. Know what you want
2. Create options for yourself
3. Be willing to walk away

Make sense?

Here’s my next tip. This one’s super practical…

#6 Why You Should Always Meet People In Person

A new study recently found that people are 34 (!) times more persuasive in person than by written messages. I wrote about it here.

Think about that.

Your chance of getting to “yes” is 34 times higher if you meet people face-to-face.

And if you can’t meet in person… a phone call or video chat is likely much better, too.

The good news is:

The takeaway here is straightforward… If you want to negotiate better, meet people in person!

#7 Know the Perfect Time to Schedule Your Meetings

But when should you set your meetings?

As it turns out, there IS a right and wrong answer to this question.

Researchers from the Columbia Business School analyzed more than 1,000 parole decisions made by experienced judges.

What they found was fascinating. It proves that being “hangry” is not a myth…

Watch this:

So remember:

For you important negotiations, meet people face-to-face…

…and DON’T schedule your meeting right before lunch!

Now tell me this:

Which of these negotiation tips did you find the most useful? And have you used any other negotiation tactics you can share?

Leave a comment.