Are you Busy or Productive?

 What was your answer the last time someone asked you, “How have you been doing?” If you said, “Busy,” you’re certainly not alone.  We hear it more often than not, and to be perfectly honest, we often feel the same way.

But here’s the deal: There’s a tremendous difference between being busy and being productive. Even more, there’s a big difference between productivity and focused productivity.

As the quote above suggests, being busy and productive without clarity about your priorities and a focus on what’s most important is useless. Heck, you could argue that it’s worse than useless; it’s potentially harmful and damaging.

So, how can you avoid the “productivity trap”? Here are a few ideas:

• Make a “not-to-do” list. Write down all of the things you’re currently doing that aren’t worth the time and effort you’re spending on them. Delegate them, if possible, or…
• Let go of the rest. Focus on the essential items, and if something is not important and not urgent, get rid of it. If you need help with this, check out Greg McKeown’s book Essentialism.
• Plan ahead. Once you know what you will and won’t do, prioritize your to-do list. Some people do this weekly, but most people do it daily, mapping out their agenda for the next day the night before.
• Do a daily recap. While you’re doing your nightly line-up for the following day, do a daily recap to see how you did. What went well? Where can you improve?
• Clear the clutter. Clutter on your desk, your office, your inbox, etc., can be very distracting. Make sure you set aside time weekly to tidy things up. This not only helps keep things clean, it also helps you from getting sidetracked with spontaneous house cleaning.
• Put one foot in front of the other. Sometimes the most daunting step is the first one. But rather than paralysis by analysis, just take one step—in any direction.
• Batch similar tasks together. When you’re putting together your daily line-up card, batch similar tasks together whenever possible. Set aside dedicated time for emails, phone calls, projects, meetings, etc., rather than sporadically spacing them out. Every time you change tasks, there’s an opportunity cost; that’s right, we’re suggesting that you don’t multi-task.
• Set a timer. If you have trouble being disciplined with your time, use a timer. This is an incredibly useful tool for most people. It helps create a sense of urgency, it can alleviate feelings of being overwhelmed, and it creates a light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.
• Schedule mini-workouts. Physical activity boosts energy levels, helps manage hunger and blood sugar levels, improves cognitive function, and boosts productivity. Schedule 5- to 10-minute micro workouts during your work day.
• Improve your communication. If you’re too wordy, you can be leaky valuable time and creating confusion. Keep things as simple as possible and focus on answering questions—not creating new ones.

When you combine productivity with focus, well … that’s where the magic happens.

Hope this helps!

Staying Safe and Healthy This Summer - An Update from allinmycart.com

 We are in the heat of summer here in New England and wanted to write to you to check in with you to see how are doing.   We are still in the midst of a pandemic and a "new normal" of face masks, social distancing and hand sanitizer is in full effect!

We like to first welcome all of our new preferred customers of our SHOP-COM online shopping site as well as give kudos to our preferred customers of many years.   We love helping you out whether it is just being there for advice or if you are looking for that special gift, product or service.   Our shopping site is one of the largest sites in the world with over 60 million products through our exclusive brands and partner stores!

As you can see we are now using a new email campaign tool from BuilderAll that allows us to be a little more creative with our newsletter.   We love to hear from you to get your thoughts on our letter.

In the images below, we are highlighting some of our major new programs, products and services so far in 2020 as well as links to our main websites catered to Online Shopping, Cosmetics/Skin Care or Health/Wellness.

Believe or not, 2020 has been our best year ever in the 12 years we have been in business and we have our preferred customers to thank!

So don't be shy, reach out, log into your account using your email address, learn about cashback and enjoy the many benefits of the online shopping annuity.

Stay safe and healthy!

Here are some of our new programs - 

Here is a link to some of our main websites - 

Connect to us on Social Media - 

AIMC Entrepreneur Tip - Business Ownership, Sales

Why Business Networking & Residual Income is Essential for Your Retirement

We are in a much different world today compared to your grandparents or even your parents world was like prior to 50 years ago. 

Back then, one parent worked full-time at one job or ran one business and was the primary breadwinner while the other parent stayed at home and took care of the household.   The family can easily survive on one income and the parents were able to retire knowing their company pension & Social Security was all they need to have a nice retirement of golfing and sunshine.  There was really no such thing as business networking in the format it is in today and if you had a side hustle, you may been classified as a greasy old car salesman and did not fit into the norm.   Honestly, it was a good life since it seemed there was less stress and family values were a priority.

Today, there is a lot of more pressure and the norm is change, whether it is your job, business, financial situation.   Less than 5% of professionals stay at a job more than 10 years and 60% of Americans live check-to-check and are not saving for retirement.  Most professionals are in a state where they need to be proactive about their career and their success and not rely on their company to be loyal to them and build their career path.  Everyone today needs to be the CEO of their own domain and those that don't, are left behind and fall into that "check-to-check" and "no retirement" demographic.

The good news with today's world is that there are more options than ever to build your own domain.    The options that stand out today are Business Networking and Residual Income.  There are more opportunities than ever to build your own legacy and retirement success using these tools.   You can networking offline at events, especially in big cities and online via social media platforms like LinkedIN.  In terms of Residual Income, whether you earn residual income via real estate, network marketing or online learning, the sky is the limit to build a financial component that makes you money while you sleep.   Residual Income used to be a dirty word back in the days of the one income family, but now it should be part of every professionals financial plan to stability.

I wanted to share my story.  Prior to 2007, I had one source of income from one job and once the work day was over, I did the typical activities like watching TV, going to the gym or hanging with friends.  In 2007, I went to my first networking event and then in 2008, I was introduced to residual income.  It was a whole new world, but slowly but surely it caught on, and now today in 2019, I run a successful business networking group and currently have multiple sources of income (most residually) with the goal to retire from the typical corporate job in a few years, much earlier than most of my colleagues I graduated with.

The model I have built for me and my family in order to have an amazing and financially free retirement is my business networking and side hustles I am doing alongside my primary job.  Now don't get me wrong, I still want to have a "working retirement" focusing on my passion of helping others whether is with their health, their business or their financial situation.  However, I feel like it is absolutely essential to build a residual income today.  Social Security is good enough to buy your monthly groceries.  Nobody has a pension anymore, and you how your retirement portfolio is doing.   The stock market today is absolute drama and most companies don't even match your 401k contributions anymore.  You are essential on your own to make sure you are not a Walmart greeter just to make ends meet at the ripe old age of 82. 

So where does business networking come in?  It is the referral base, the lead generator that introduces you to the right people that can use the products and services you provide via your side hustles.   Hopefully, you are building side hustles that truly provide you with residual income.  Real Estate investing is the most popular, but network marketing is the least risky.  I encourage you to take the idea of building a residual income seriously and if you are approached with an opportunity to build something, don't close yourself off, since it may be your path to controlling your own domain.

Why the Fitness Club is Better Than the Nightclub

It is hard to believe I turned the big 5-0 last month considering how I do not feel old at all and have a zest for life and am excited for what is ahead.   I am involved with a lot of side hustles and run professional networking events in the Boston area and the majority of the attendees are younger and serious about their career and life which is enlightening.  Hanging with so many successful young professionals has had an amazing positive effect on me that I feel like I have just turned 30 instead!

I remember back when I was in my 20s, it was all about partying till 4am at the various nightclubs in Boston, Providence and even the occasional trip to a warm climate.   My colleagues had the day job, then went out till 4am, got up at noon and may hit the gym to sweat out the hangover.   Fitness was important but not the center of life then.  It was all about how hungover you can get.

As I got older, the nightclubs started to close and more fitness clubs were opening.   I remembered a time when Rte. 9 in Framingham was a strip of nightclubs whereas today it is dotted with fitness clubs.   The fitness club was becoming the new nightclub where people congregate, shared workouts and diets and even met their significant other.   I was pretty amazed when I went to the gym on a Friday evening recently and it was packed.  Back in 1995, you went to the gym on a Friday night, you were a loser.

Today, people are healthier than ever.   With yoga, SoulCycle, Crossfit and your basic free weights, it is cool to be into fitness, and not cool to smoke cigarettes.    That is why of all of my business ventures, my health/wellness business is my baby.

So why is the Fitness Club Better Than the Nightclub?

1)  Being active in a Fitness Program is an Investment in Your Health whereas investing in a cocktail at a Nightclub will only result in a headache and oversleeping the next day.   You feel amazing after a workout and are ready to tackle the day.   After a big night out, the only thing you are tackling is your pillow.

2)  People are positive and happy at the gym.  You notice that people encourage you at the gym and smile (well except for those that overdid it with some of  those supplements).   There is no drama at the gym, it is all business.   At a nightclub, it is all about drama.   Well look at her or why is the bartender so slow.   Why are there so many brawls and bad stories at the end of a night out?   Don't see that at a fitness club.

3) Successful people tend to congregate at the gym.    I met a lot of entrepreneurs and forward thinkers at the gym, even on a Friday night.   Refer to #2, nightclubs tend to congregate people that have no direction in life.   It is all about who you  hang with, right?

So hopefully, you will join the fitness revolution and get strong, feel great and look great!   I am rooting for you and want you to think 50 is the new 30 and 60 is the new 40.   It is the best de-aging process there is, so let's rock, at the fitness club.

Why Having a Side Hustle is Good For You

My life totally changed in 2007.   I was at the end of my tenure at a large retail company in IT and I was getting antsy.  I needed something different and thought there was more to life than going to a 9-to-5 job, go home and watch TV or blow time at the local bar sipping cheap beer talking about the drama at the 9-to-5 gig.

One day, I decided to go to a networking event at my alma mater just to try out something new and meet some different people.   At my first event, I knew I was in a different environment.   The other professionals in the room were positive, friendly and they all had something different.   They all seemed to have something they were passionnate about.   Most of them worked a 9-to-5, but it was what they were doing after 5pm that got them all excited and positive about what life will bring.

So what was it that got them all excited?   The side hustle!

In 2018, research has shown that more American millenials have a side hustle than ever before.  And it is not just millenials, baby boomers are doing it to, since they know the corporate world is in their rear view mirror.  The side hustles may be freelancing, teaching, doing Uber or starting a side business in real estate, network marketing or franchising.   Studies have shown that having a side hustle provides a lot of mental health benefits since it is something to look forward to and indulge in your entrepreneurial spirit.

Here are five benefits I have experienced since I have started my side hustles alongside my day job.

1. I have gained control of my life.

When you care deeply about your work as I do, it can be frustrating when you aren't able to call the shots or make an impact the leaves you feeling fulfilled.  This might be especially true if you feel stunted in a toxic culture, are miserable as the result of a bad boss, or are stuck in a situation where you simply don't have the freedom to do things the way you want to on the job.  I am familiar with these struggles firsthand, and by having my side hustles, I have the ability to call the shots and control my own domain.

2.  I have grown personally and professionally since I started my side hustles.

Professional learning opportunities are one of a job's best perks, whether you have teammates who teach you new skills or enjoy access to books and classes throught your company.   Sure, that was great back in the 1990s when I travelled all over the world for classes and seminars that my company paid for.   Unfortunately today, the information you need to know to do your job well might not always be of interest to you.   Having a side hustle that challenges you in an area you're genuinely interested in is exciting and give you a sense of purpose.  I have done my share of reading and have enrolled in numerous classes on digital marketing and health/wellness which are my passions.


3.  I am not so stressed anymore.

I am now doing something that makes me feel energized, proud, and confident that helps me combat any work worries at the 9-to-5.   If you are doing something you enjoy while making money doing it, you won't be as stressed as if all you do is go to your job and then go home and stress about your job.  Working on your passion brings you a much needed  mental break from day-job-related stress.

4. I am definitely not bored with life, far from it.

If you have been in your current role for a long time but love what you do but crave more variety?   A side hustle can you explore skills or talents that you enjoy but don't get to use nearly enough.  You should keep things interesting by pursuing a side hustle that is a complete departure from your usual work routine.   I have a great example.  By day I manage an IT organization at a health care company.  By evening, I run a digital marketing company as well as a health/wellness company.   I don't stop there.  I also run one of Boston's most successful business networking groups.   Like I mentioned, I am not bored.   Because of my side hustles, I come back to my 9-to-5 more refreshed.


5.  I have built some amazing relationships since I have started my side hustles.

Sure, your day job might introduce you to plenty of smart people in your industry but believe me when you explore your entrepreneurial pursuit, the new friends and contacts that you make are a whole different mindset.  The old saying is it is all about who you hang with.   Since I have tapped into my new social circles, I feel much more connected, fulfilled and happy.

Spring is a New Beginning to Get Into Better Health - Some Tips

Just like New Years, the Spring Season is always looked at as a time for new beginnings.  The last of the cold snowy weather is in the rear view and the days, especially the evenings are nice and bright.

When it comes to your health, you should always be consistent every day to ensure you maintain a great balance of exercise, diet, mindset and of course take a great supplement.   You need to work all sectors of health in tandem to ensure great health.    The old saying, you can eat an amazing healthy diet but it doesn't mean much if you are a couch potato.   On the contrary, you can be a gym rat, but if you indulge in fried food, it would be exactly a pinnacle of great health.   Finally, your attitude toward life and how positive you are is the cherry on the sundae.   OK, maybe the cherry on a nutrition bar.

As mentioned, your health maintenance is broken down into your fitness activities, diet, mindset and supplements.  What I like to do is offer some tips for each that are very basic.

Fitness - 
I can just simply say join your local gym and hire a trainer to put you through hell at the gym.  Instead, I like offer some easy exercises you can do in place of going to the gym if you have a busy productive lifestyle.

• If you work in the office, take the stairs whenever possible and get up and walk around. or at a minimum stretch, every 15-20 minutes, so you maintain great blood flow and digestion of any food you eat.    Sitting in your office for hours on end is worse than smoking a pack of cigarettes.
• Always take a walk after eating, breakfast, lunch and dinner.   By walking, you will be able to easily digest your food and burn off any unhealthy calories.   Do not do any strenuous exercise right after eating.
• If you don't go to a gym, pick up a pair of dumbbell weights and do about 10-15 minutes of exercise daily.   Here is a great video on a full body workout using a pair of dumbbells.

Diet -

I wanted to first mention that when you mention that you are on a diet, it does not mean you are working to lose weight.   You can always be on a bad diet full of fried foods and bad carbs.

• Water is the single most important beverage in your diet.  Water helps you digest, provides energy and even helps you maintain a great weight.   Your body is 60% water, so simply if you are thirsty, drink water.
• Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and lunch is the second most important.   I know this sounds backward, but think about it, when are you the most active during the day.  The worst thing to do is have a huge dinner then relax.   There are basic like avoiding sugar, especially white sugar, too much dairy and processed foods, but if you eat small portions and exercise regularly, it is OK to treat yourself once in a while.
• Never ever skip a meal.  Any weight loss program that recommends to skip a meal, or drink this shake or even wear this wrap around your waist, is not a worthy weight loss program.  The key to maintaining a great lifestyle is eating small nutritious meals.

Positive Mindset - 

It is how you feel about yourself and your life that will determine how focused you are on your fitness and diet.    Always visualize yourself at your goal, looking and feeling great.   There will be tough days but always know there are great days to look forward too.

• Avoid negative people.   I know you hear this a million times, but really, what does a complainer do for you?  Nothing.   Hang out with people better than you.
• Find the root cause of your health issues.  Is it stress?  If so, find ways to relieve your stress.   if needed, contact a professional to help you especially if stress is effecting your weight and your well-being.
• There will be traffic, there will be issues at your home, or you may lose your job.   Everyone has bad days, but the difference is, is how they handle adversity.  A positive mindset, great diet and exercise will help you get through those rough stretches.

Supplements -
Yes, supplements.   Face it, our food is not as healthy as it was 30 or 40 years ago,  We are always in a rush and the supermarkets are full of canned goods and processed cereal that is not very good for you.   Walk around the supermarket and look at labels.  I bet 70-80% of food you buy either has sugar,salt or pesticides on them.   Do you really think that apple in the fruit stand has no chemicals on it?  Think again.   This is why supplements are more important than ever.

• Make sure your vitamins are liquid based and are biodegradable so you are able to absorb the nutrients within five minutes.   A pill will need to be digested and broken down in your stomach.  Your stomach breaks down food and anything else you eat, so why not take a supplement that goes to your small intestine and absorb the nutrients instantly?
• Be leery of any sugar snack such as cereal, pop tarts or even soda that claim that have extra vitamins and minerals.   Think about it, sugar is evil so why eat or drink something that claims it is healthy for you and it has a lot of sugar in it?
• Milk does not do a body good.   This may fall under diet, but I wanted to make something clear.  The calcium in milk is not the pure calcium that your body needs to maintain good bone health.  The supplement needs to also have magnesium in it to absorb the calcium.   Does milk have real magnesium in it?  I think not.

So hopefully our blog provided you some simple steps toward great health.  Spring is all about new beginnings so why not start today on your healthy journey!

Adapt or Die - Why Change is Great for Your Career, Business and Life

You heard it all before, that old saying "This is how it has always been done, it works, why change?".  As an IT professional, it drives me crazy to hear that, since IT is supposed to be all about innovation and adapting to changing technologies and processes.

I would like to provide some examples, how entrenched we are with not changing our habits, our career and generally, the way we do things.   Then, I like to offer a suggestion how to change.

Have you ever noticed that when people go to vote, they select the same candidate over and over again, despite complaining about the state of affairs and how bad the candidate is.  Think Rhode Island politics.   Next time, perhaps research the other candidates and make an educated risk to select someone new.   It may bring the change that is needed in your area.

When people talked about shopping online, Amazon comes to mind first.  Believe or not, there are way better online shopping sites out there, and they don't ding you for that great deal of $99 a year for "free shipping".

Here is a case of a relationship going through the motions.  When a couple is thinking of going out to dinner on a Saturday night and they end up going to the "usual" place where every wait person knows their name.  Eventually, the ravioli may get a little boring.   Check out some websites that can provide some ideas of new new restaurants and/or entertainment venues to mix it up a little and put a spark in that old relationship.

How about a classic, the corporate employee that will not go away.  You have been working at the same job for eight, ten maybe fifteen years, and someone suggests that you attend a networking event or to look at a business idea that might make you more money.  Your first reaction, is that networking events and side businesses are a scam.   Working 9 to 5 is the way to go, why change?  Until that ol' layoff happens.    Change your perspective and listen to ideas and build your network, even if you have been at Fidelity for 50 years in some comfy job with 1% annual raises.

Face it, the world is changing fast.   Real fast.
Technology is eliminating jobs.   Jobs are no longer safe.  Technology professionals have to constantly stay ahead of the curve.  After all, how many C++ programmers are there now that are still working steadily.    Adapt to new technologies or die.

The whole idea of change is to introduce opportunity and a new perspective that can bring great results.    The ones that can adapt to change without thinking it is bad, live on.  The ones that thinks change is bad, die.

So take a different route to work next time, try a new restaurant, shake up that exercise routine and most all adapt to life, since life is changing fast for all of us, and for the better.

When It Comes to Your Health - It Is All About Love, Nutrition and Exercise - An Inspiration from Max

Recently, we lost our beloved miniature pinscher, Max, after enjoying 15 and half years of his 18 years of life.   Max was our son, our laughter and our guard dog.   After a long day, it was always heartwarming to see his little tail wagging in happiness to see you and then he proceeded to beg for a treat.    Max has provided more memories that will forever be on our minds.

It has been a tough few weeks.    As we broke the news of Max's passing to friends, family and colleagues, the outpouring of sympathy warmed our hearts.   When we mentioned Max's age, that he passed at 18 years old, a sense of amazement and eyes popping our of their heads was a common reaction.    Wow, Max lived 18 years?   The life expectancy of miniature pinschers was around 14 years.   We were always asked, what was our secret to Max's long life?

It was easy.
Love, Nutrition and Exercise.

Love - We were always there for Max and telling him that we loved him and made sure he had all the comforts of home.   We treated Max like gold since he was gold to us.

Nutrition - We rarely gave Max human food.  After all, he is a canine.   We made sure he had his vitamins and ate the best food.   He would have a treat here and there, but we made sure the treats had the nutrition Max needed for a long life

Exercise - Max didn't just sit around.   Until his last week, we took him out for walks every day, sometimes 3 or 4 times a day.  Max has hiked a few short mountains and walked some of our great beaches.   Back in the early days, he would sprint after the squirrels and rabbits in our back yard.

What we learned from caring from Max is how important, love, nutrition and exercise is to personal health.   I know I am stating the obvious, but for some people that are not in the best of health, perhaps something is missing that will help them reach their health and wellness goals.

Here are some ideas to help you focus on the three important aspects of great health.

Love - At AIMC Health Solutions we always stress that positive mindset and determination is the most important part of a health/wellness plan.   First, get rid of any negative influence in your life and focus your energy on the positive influences in your life.   Even if you are totally out of shape and are going to the gym for the first time, congrats to you and hang with people that cheer for you, not hurt you.   You will notice your energy level go up the more you are around positive influences.

Nutrition - It really is all about what you put into your bodies.    You heard that sugar strips your body of nutrients and even causes disease if taken in high doses.   Dairy, alcohol and soft drinks do nothing to help your health.   Yes, milk has calcium, but it is pasteurized calcium, not the real thing.  Focus on food that is naturally produced like fruits and vegetables, and take a vitamin supplement to help closed the gap on your body's daily nutritional needs.    Once you start eliminating sugar and artificial foods out of your diet, you will notice your appearance and general feeling about life to be a lot better.

Exercise - Another important aspect of what AIMC Health Solutions preaches to their clients is fitness and exercise.   You can eat the best foods, take the best vitamins, but if you don't move, you may still have health issues.   A recent study mentioned, that people that sit at a desk all day at their job is worst than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.    Put together an exercise program with a mix of cardiovascular work, free weights and even yoga and follow it at least three or four days a week.   A little tip is to go for walk after each meal so your body processes your food faster.   The more you exercise, the better you will feel about yourself and reach your health and wellness goals.

Finally, when it is all said and done, focusing on love, nutrition and exercise is what it is all about, so lose the negative nellies, eat small nutritional meals, and get the gym and you will experience some amazing results!