Here are seven ways to get motivated; pick and choose the ones that work best for you:

Find the why. When we set out to do something, it’s important to keep the why in the front of your mind. Are you looking for a new job because you dislike your boss? Need more money? Want a shorter commute? Getting where we want to go can be a long journey, so never forget what set you out on the road to begin with. Write down why you’re motivated and refer to it often.

Look forward. Pretend you have accomplished your goal. For example, if your goal is to learn a new language to impress a girl, you need to consider if the task is worth taking on—what if she rejects you? View things from multiple perspectives and ensure you are taking worthwhile roads. Once you commit, put the negative scenario out of your mind and concentrate on how good it will feel when you succeed. Visualizing the success story is a surefire way to get motivated.

Just do it. There’s a reason the Nike slogan has endured for more than two decades. In the Data Age, we have so much information available to us at all times that it’s easy to get lost in number-crunching oblivion. But there’s nothing like rolling up your sleeves and getting started. Think about it: A perfect resume is useless if you don’t send out. You’d be better served sending out 10 resumes that are almost perfect than none at all. Rarely are actions an absolute waste of time. Get motivated!

Reward yourself. If your goal is to get a new job, you will need to take action to make a change. Set goals and share them with someone you trust so that you can be held accountable. For example, promise that you’ll send out two resumes a week to relevant jobs. If you succeed, reward yourself with a predetermined item. Likewise, if you fail, be sure to carry out a predetermined punishment. Even if a project doesn’t feel as if it’s worth your time, make it your business to make it worth your time. Otherwise, getting started can feel impossible.

Think of someone you hate. We all know jealousy and hatred are ugly emotions, but unless you’re a Buddhist monastic, they’re also a reality. Why not turn something dark into a tremendous motivator? Image the person you dislike taking action while you rest on your laurels? Wouldn’t you rather be showered with happiness and rewards? Push yourself to get started— get motivated — today!

Give yourself choices. Negative self-talk is often a high hurdle we must clear to get ourselves pumped up to do something we dread. Remember: You don’t have to, you want to. This simple thought-swap can make any task more palatable.

Break it up. What sounds easier? Writing 1,000 words in two hours or writing 125 words in 15 minutes? Breaking your task into smaller parts will help you get started.

Finding the will to get motivated isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it. How do you get motivated?

There’s the sound of the railroad horn in the distance. The laughter of a girl. Cherry Garcia FroYo. And there is blogging.

Call it a hobby. Call it a career. Call it a passion.  Here are some of the reasons why I am thankful for freelance blogging.

– Blogging Reignited My Passion to Write. Early this century my journalism degree was gathering dust. Caught up in a world where I was trying to establish a “career” for myself, I found little reason to write. But blogging opened up a door to a world of writing…without an editor. Freedom! My grammar might not be perfect, and spelling errors, well, yeah, they happen. But removing the hurdle of having someone change what I want to say…a huge score!

– Blogging Builds Relationships. They may not be part of my inner circle, but I have formed some valuable and fulfilling relationships thanks to blogging. I hear from people all around the world.  Some are insightful, others are opinionated, but all are engaged. This feeling of connectedness is important to me in a somewhat disconnected world. 

– Blogging Is a FREE Hobby. With no equipment necessary, no entry fees, and no expensive “collectibles,” blogging is an economical hobby, one that fills time in a positive way — without draining your bank account. The coolest part is that blogs are like “manly” diaries, with your thoughts archived for life.  For virtually no cost, I can look back on this post in 20 years and laugh or cry about it. That’s priceless!

– Blogging Puts Me on the Path to Self-Employment. It won’t happen overnight, and it might never come to fruition, but blogging puts everyone on the path to potential self-employment. The greatest part is that you can transition as slowly (or as quickly) as you like. Whether or not this is a goal for you, it at least lets you cast a hook into the self-employment pond. Hey, you gotta be in it to win it, right?

– Blogging Lets Me Tap Into My Creativity. I live for creative vision; it keeps me young, happy, and feeling alive. From layout to imagery to making money, a good blogger must be a quick thinker – someone who is willing to let their creative juices slop all over the floor. Somebody get me a mop!

– Blogging is Therapeutic. And it costs less than therapy. As a blogger, you get to air your grievances publicly and have the world comment. This dialogue can help you blow off some serious steam. And for the days when blogging isn’t enough, I always have the heavy bag to hit in my basement.

I am grateful for so many things, and this year, blogging makes the list. If you’re reading this, I’m grateful to you too.

Except that’s not true. At least, that’s what I tell myself. 

As the father of a newborn, I realize more than ever how important it is to squeeze precious seconds out of every minute that I get.  Here are a few places you might find me honing my blogging skills.

RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS
Before you lecture me on distracted driving, read on! Every time I am idle in the car, I use the opportunity to focus on my breath, inhaling deeply and exhaling smoothly. My Zen hero Thich Nhat Hanh taught me that the best way to clear my mind, focus on the present, and relax myself to be receptive to creative ideas, is to simply breathe. A traffic stop is the perfect place to do this. In fact, some of my best blog ideas have come using this technique.

WAITING ROOMS
When you go to see a doctor or dentist, there’s a good chance you’ll be waiting. Rather than reading a three-month old sports magazine you could care less about, take out your smartphone or pad and start on your next blog post.

STANDING ON LINE
The person in front of you is pulling out their coupon pouch, so you know it’s going to be awhile! Might as well get your thumbs cracking and text message yourself a few notes for future blog entries.

HOLDING
Whether it’s your buddy picking up the other line or some hideous customer service rep subjecting you to Kenny G., it’s rare to have a phone conversation these days without getting put on hold. Use the time to pull up your latest Web stats, research SEO or unsubscribe from annoying spam. Oh, and if you’re put on hold for more than 90 seconds – hang up.

WATCHING ADS
If you are still resisting DVR and watching live TV, you are wasting your time! After you grab a snack and empty your bladder, start blogging before your show comes back. By the time you add up all of the ads, you could write a post during a 30-minute sitcom.

SLEEPING
I don’t view sleep as a “time suck,” but hitting the snooze button is! Get your butt out of bed and face the day head on!

GOSSIP
Engaging in gossip is a no-no. Not only does it waste your time, but you are aiding and abetting the spread of information that has the potential to hurt other people. Don’t engage, use the time to blog instead.

So if you’re sitting there waiting for your PC to boot up, you are wasting time! Fill the gaps with blogging tasks and you will never lose another second!

Building trust doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s an important ingredient to cook up a winning product. Here are few tactics to employ in order to build trust on your blog, and in turn, become a better blogger.

– BE YOURSELF. Successful blogging requires that you insert yourself into the written world. Not every blogging situation calls for it, but if you are looking to build an audience and earn readers’ trust, you need to give them (at the very least) a glimpse into who you are. We trust people we know, and if readers don’t know you, how can they trust you?

– STICK WITH IT. The longer you blog, the better your odds of earning trust. It shows people that you are in it for the “long haul.” In a world where many blogs fizzle and disappear after a few weeks, readers will not vest themselves until you prove that you will not “abandon” your blog. Also, the longer you keep you blog running, the more you prove your commitment (not to mention, search engine love). Quality beats quantity, but standing the test of time will earn you some clout.

– BE ACTIVE AND CONSISTENT. We trust people we can depend on. Get readers to depend on you, not only with the content you provide, but when you post it.

– BE AN AUTHORITY. Talk to folks within your blog’s niche to boost your “street cred.” Like it or not, people are judged by the company they keep. If you are blogging about cat whiskers, and are connected to the President of the local Cat Whiskers club, you will instantly garner respect from your readers. At the very least, you’ll prove you have some knowledge of what you are writing about.

– TALK YOURSELF UP. There’s a fine line between highlighting your success and being a braggart, but with a little bit of grace, you can achieve the former. Don’t be afraid to put your impressive blog stats out there for the world to see. If there are things going on behind the scenes that could increase your trust quotient, use ‘em!

– BREAK NEWS. Showing readers that you are “on top” of things can earn you trust. Getting to a story first (and reporting well) will help you gain the respect of readers and fellow bloggers. If you miss a story or make a mistake, acknowledge it! (See #1)

Bloggers need to build trust in order to be successful. What are you doing to build that bridge?

CREATIVITY
One of the biggest challenges a busy freelance blogger faces is conceptualizing article topics. Bloggers are a dime a dozen.  But bloggers who can produce compelling content are a much rarer breed. Interesting articles generally begin with a thought-provoking topic. Hiring a blogger who can come up with ideas on their own, as well as enhance the topics I have provided, is a tremendous asset and a big time-saver for me!

A RE-WRITER
You’ve undoubtedly heard some variation of the expression, “every good idea has been taken.”  That being said, almost everything has been written about in some form or other. The best bloggers can take pre-existing content and quickly put their own spin on it, turning it into 100% original content. From adapting press releases to covering a topic that has been explored a million times, good bloggers can customize on the fly and deliver a written product that cuts through the noise.

COMMUNICATION
Allow me to generalize. Writers can be a reclusive bunch.  I mean no disrespect, but in my experience, many great writers are not great communicators. When hiring a freelance blogger I look for two types of communication.

A) The majority of the blogs I own and write for require a conversational tone.  That mandates that the blogger understands who the audience is and can “speak” to them in a language that they understand and can relate to.  This takes a good writer AND a good communicator.  The last thing you want is a blogger who misunderstands the audience, or worse yet, is perceived as talking down to readers.

B) For most people, freelance blogging is a hobby or a way to generate supplemental income. Because of this, many bloggers have a hectic schedule.  I never expect a blogger to drop what they are doing to make time for me, however, it is important to hire a blogger who communicates efficiently and regularly; someone who is willing to ask questions — the right questions.

The bloggers I tend to hire back for repeat assignments also tend to be outwardly optimistic, critical thinkers, and have a proven track record (though it doesn’t have to be within the blogging world).

If the above sounds like you, I look forward to possibly working with you one day!  Connect with me on LinkedIn.

I’m not sure how enrollment for these classes looks, but based on the sheer volume of offerings, I’m going to venture to guess that they do quite well. With that being said, I wanted to offer some tips for any readers who are considering taking a blog course.

The first thing you’re going to want to do is vet the instructor. Since you’re talking about digital media, their work experience should only be a few clicks away. Take to the Internet and do your own research on how popular their blogs are and how they maintain their social media profiles.

I’ve come across quite a few blogging instructors who do not have a proven track record in the blogosphere, or worse yet, teachers who have no blog at all.  If they have set up a blog as a prerequisite to teach the class, it will be obvious.  Do your homework.

That being said, there are great baseball managers who never played in the major leagues.  And I’m sure there are great blogging instructors who never made it to the blogging big time. However, personally, when I want to learn something from someone, I want to see that they have been where I want to go.

Since many of these courses have been taught before, I would ask the school to see success stories from previous students. In essence, you’re asking the academic institution to provide contact information for students who will act as a reference for the course and or the instructor.

As a possible student, part of your research when choosing a course/school should include checking out former student blogs to see what they’re doing with their blogging skills out in the real world.

One of the major pluses of organized education is post-course support.  Be sure to ask the school what kind of post-curriculum support is offered. Will you be able to contact the instructor after the course ends? Will your blog or digital property be listed on the school’s website?  Distributed in an e-newsletter?

But the biggest…most important…absolutely necessary thing to do before you take a blog course is…

KNOW YOUR GOAL.

It sounds overly-simplistic, but far too many people hide in the corridors of academia because they don’t know what else to do.  Before paying one cent for an education or investing your valuable time, have a solid idea of what you want to get out of the course – and be sure the course will serve as a means to that end.

Questions?  Concerns?  Hit me up in the comments section below.

So in case you stumbled upon this website randomly, let me clear the air about who I am and who I’m not.

I am not Andrew Rosen, the CEO of theory, the popular apparel line. Nor do I own a big chunk of Proenza Schouler.

I AM a writer and freelance blogger who loves taking on new and exciting challenges.

I am not Andrew Rosen, the president of Kaplan, the SAT prep and education outlet.

I AM a digital content manager who understands social media and the latest Web technologies.

I am not Andrew Rosen, the Arizona-based orthodontist (though I did once wear braces).

I AM a person who thrives on creativity, but understands how to manage the bureaucracy of business.

I am not Andrew Rosen, producer of fine movies such as Cinderella Man and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

I AM a New York-based Shiba Inu owner who strives for equanimity.

Sharing a name with others does have it’s benefits.  For example, when an ex-girlfriend or nosy coworker seeks me out, I know they had to put in a bit of effort to track me down (you know who you are!).  It also alleviates the pressure of having to produce a male to “carry on the family name.” Cause let’s be honest, the name Rosen isn’t going anywhere.

So now you know a little about THIS Andrew Rosen. If you are an Andrew Rosen too, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below.

First a little about me.

My professional experience is varied.  I helped MTV Networks build their satellite radio station from the ground up; I honed my editorial skills writing for FOXNews.com; I currently manage digital media for AAA; I run a successful career advice blog and freelance blogging business.

There have been elements of each job that I’ve enjoyed, and of course, things that I haven’t been a huge fan of.

If the ideal job is out there for me, it’s on Long Island or in Queens (lifestyle choice) and looks something like this…

– The work is challenging. Creative. Evolving. Relevant. Like-minded people collaborate, but unique voices are heard and respected. The work touches lives, maybe even making a difference. Employee roles are well defined and every individual within the organization understands their responsibilities. People are allowed to do the jobs they were hired to do. Employers that hand over all of the responsibility and none of the authority are setting employees up to fail – or be extremely frustrated.

– Workers are paid what they worth.  Most people don’t want a pizza party or a desk trinket. Like it or not, respect, autonomy, and money incentivize performance. That’s a fact.  Raises should be merit-based, with longevity rendered irrelevant. Performance evaluations are a collaborative process, created by the supervisor with employee input. They wouldn’t be a waste of time, but a process that sets goals and holds both parties accountable.

– Working remotely, when necessary, is an acceptable practice. If you don’t feel well or your baby is sick, you have the option to occasionally work from home. If you need to come in two hours late, you would be trusted to make up that time up at a later date. Work hours wouldn’t be arbitrarily chosen and militantly enforced; the nine-to-five grind is so last century. Remote work doesn’t have to be the rule, but the ideal employer should be willing to make exceptions.

– Adults know what it means to dress professionally.

– The general work area should be bright and well-oxygenated. Windows are a plus!

– Conference room gatherings only occur when they need to. Since the best employees/bosses  know how to communicate with each other on a regular basis,meetings should only be held when there’s a reason.  When it comes to time, the ideal employer understands quality over quantity.

If you can offer the majority of what I’ve mentioned above, we should talk.  My web content management experience and blogging / social media skills can deliver impressive results for companies both large and small.

If you’re a job hunter, what are traits do you like to see in an employer?  Feel free to leave a comment below.