If you've missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all –>

I am asked this question often and I think it's safe to say that it happens to everyone.

This week I asked our panel of experts …

When you're having a bad day or where you feel like throwing in the towel and just saying ‘screw it' what do you do to pick yourself back up and keep plugging along?

I think you'll find the answers this week interesting and hopefully motivating.

Denise Wakeman of Blog Squad Tips says:

Depending on how difficult the day is feeling for me, I do a couple of things;

1. Go to the gym or for a short run.
That almost always clears my head since I'm away from my desk/computer and focus on my body. A good workout will do wonders for my mental state.

2. If it's really bad, I contact my business mentor.
She can always talk me down from the “screw it” place and talk me back up to recognizing my gifts and how I serve others and that i am appreciated.

Between those two things, I can usually get myself back to work with a positive attitude.

Mark Mason of MasonWorld.com says:

OK — you are asking for the secret sauce now.

Seriously, I run into this problem all the time. Like a lot of internet marketers, I have a day job, a wife, four kids, a dog, a cat, two turtles (Pumble and Tumble) and five fish. I also have a house with a ton of chores. I usually don't work on internet marketing until after 10PM, and some days it is really easy just to “screw it” (Nicki's words) and go to bed (or watch old Law and Order re-runs).

When I feel that way, I use one of 2 strategies:

1. Instead of doing NOTHING, I pick something that I want to do that is not on my list of things that I need to do.
Check out some new software, read some blogs, do some fun social media work. Basically, I goof off on non-critical BUSINESS tasks. Stuff that I usually do not allow myself to do when I am focused on making real progress. Then at least I get SOMETHING done.

2. I work on my Motivational Monday series.
Now, many people think that I publish motivational blog posts just to help my readers. The truth is, they help me too. I intentionally started that series to help me stay motivated too.

Most of all, people need to remember that internet marketing is a marathon not a race. Pace yourself. To me, that means that it is actually OK to say “screw it” every now and then.

Lynette Chandler of TechBasedMarketing.com says:

Such a timely question because I was feeling so ready to throw in the towel last night. Thinking back to the last times I felt this way, here's what I did.

Let it go, do something else, or if it is late at night go to bed.
Sometimes a few hours will do the trick but sometimes it could be a day, two maybe a week. But that's the beauty of doing what we do. Take as long as you need. If however you are taking forever to find your fire again then something is seriously wrong and you'll probably want to do a re-evaluation of the business and direction you're heading.

Sometimes the point of frustration is more about an unpleasant task that has to be done.
The last time that happened to me, I wrote to my assistant and explained to her the issue, that I didn't want to do or think about it. The wonderful woman took the entire thing off my hands and let me move on again.

Talk.
I'm not a talker by nature but have found I really need someone to just talk things out with me from time to time with a few good friends in the business and also my husband. The last time I did this, I ended up with a new vision.

Lynn Terry of Clicknewz.com says:

I walk out the door and drive straight to McDonald's to pick up a job application. About halfway there, I realize how insane that is and turn around, then get back to work.

Seriously though, it happens to all of us. It could be an email that is totally deflating, or a nasty headache, but sometimes there are just days when you don't “feel it”.

If I have something specific scheduled, I take a deep breath (and maybe a short break or power walk) and then work my way through it. More often than not though, I don't – my schedule is very flexible. So in most cases I'll step away from the office and take a nice long nap or watch an engaging movie.

A big part of taking care of my business is taking care of myself.
I don't take that lightly, as I know all too well how burn-out or mental fatigue can affect my work. Fortunately with a flexible schedule I can work when I am at my best, and when I'm feeling inspired and creative. And otherwise nap and read and watch great movies.

Shannon Cherry of The Business Building Live Intensive says:

Usually it's more than just one bad day that makes me want to throw in the towel. It's a bad week. And when it's bad, all I want to do is tune out and tune into Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

For me, it's Buffy. For you, it could be playing on Facebook or cleaning the house. Whatever you do, it's avoidance. And it's a sign something is up.

So here's what I do:

1) Allow myself some time to detach.
Sometimes just having a break from it all can do wonders. I allow myself a half-day to do what I want. They key here is to set a time frame and keep it. Then get back to work.

2) I make a list.
Sometimes it's overwhelm that's got me paralyzed and turns a bad day into a bad week. Usually, this is something I do with a partner – either my husband or my accountability partner. That way I don't get caught up in the list (which I already have in my head anyway) and start getting it done. Once the list is made, I select the top three things that MUST get done today. The rest, as they say, is gravy!

3) I think about my WHY.
Why am I in business in the first place? What is the motivator behind all I do (the good, the bad and the yucky). For me, it's my girls. I want to be home when they are home. I want also have time to be their advocate, as they are on the Autism spectrum. So I need to make sure the time I am working is productive. I think of this… and get cracking.

Susanne Myers of AffiliateTreasureChest.com says:

As you well know Nicole, I have those days on a somewhat regular basis and you know what the first thing is I do.

Step One – Send an instant message to Nicole Dean

Sometimes all it takes is to hear a “poor baby” or get a virtual hug from someone who understands this biz, understands “you” and gets why that one nasty email you found in your inbox is ruining your entire day. That's why my first step is to instant message Nicole. She sets me straight and reminds me that I don't really want to go back to an office job.

Step Two – Work on something productive

Next, I try to work on a little something that makes me feel productive. If it results in some comments, sales or new signups, even better. I might write a quick article or blog post and publish it, send out an email, or turn some articles into a short report that I can give to my list.

Just making myself do something to grow my business is often enough to get me in a better mood.

Step Three – Look at how far I've come

If none of the above do the trick, I open Google Analytics, Clickbank, Aweber and my shopping cart and look at where I was at a year ago. Seeing how much more traffic I get now, how many more affiliate sales I am making and how much my list and customer base have grown is a great “pick-me-up”.

It may feel like I'm taking one step forward and 2 steps back, but the stats show that I am making progress.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

Wow! I got a lot of responses this week – and I didn't even have to send a reminder saying “Hey guys… you gonna answer or what?” lol. This is obviously a hot topic.

Everyone has given great advice. So, I'll say “ditto” to all of my smart friends above.

Before I dive in with my answer, I'd like to, once again, say how amazing my friends are to be so transparent and honest in their answers. Instead of saying “oh, I never feel that way. I just sit on the beach and suck margaritas all day and my life is perfect” – they shared the honest truth.

YES. Some days are deflating.  Some days, you lose your mojo completely. Yes. Some days you question whether getting a job would *really* be a bad thing.

Goodness. This month, I got an email from someone who I thought was a friend (or decent acquaintance at the least) that felt like a punch in the gut. It was totally over the top. That royally sucked. (Before you ask, it's no one who you guys know from Expert Briefs. These ARE friends.)

Other things that can make me want to say “screw it” are…

• Technical snafus that roadblock me. These drive me bonkers.
• Spending time creating and sending an email or freebie that I think my people will LOVE and it tanks. (Yes, that happens.)
• Getting a refund request with the words “I don't mean to be mean but…” in it. (I can count the times on one hand that it happens, but I can personally remember every time it has in the years I've been online.)
• Creating a new product that people have been asking for – but they don't buy right away in the big numbers you thought they would.

Stuff like that can send you reeling.

It can make you question everything.

• Who you are.
• What you're doing.
• Why you're doing it.
• IF you're actually helping anyone.
• And, whether or not you should even bother.

Back to the drawing board, right?

Connect with Someone Who Understands.

The FIRST thing I do is always the same – I connect with someone who understands and knows me and who I trust.

I normally get on IM or Skype with Susanne, Melissa Ingold, or Ronnie Nijmeh, and get myself back on track. Sometimes I'll get on the phone with Lynn or Scott Tousignant but not often enough.

Reboot your Brain.

Then, I give myself permission to lick my wounds a bit and get away from the computer to “reboot” my brain and my emotions. I know that if I try to power through it – it's ineffective for me. I have to step away for awhile.

Some of the other things I do are similar to the others:

1. Spend time with the kids if they're home.
2. Go throw the ball for my Einstein puppy for awhile.
3. Go beat myself up at the gym.
4. Go on a walk.
5. Take a bike ride.
6. Read a book that's not work-related in any way shape or form.
7. Indulge in some TV time. (Normally the TV is off while I'm working.)
8. Take a nap.
9. Get a pedicure.
10. Walk around and clean the house.
11. Do some laundry.
12. Run errands.
13. Go outside and rake.
14. Clean my car.
15. Drive to the beach.
16. Ask my Joe to take me out to lunch.
17. Jump in the shower or bath. I swear there is something magical about the shower. I don't know if it's the steam or the sensory deprivation or what, but I get the best ideas in there.
18. Step outside by the pool with a piece of paper and pencil and start doodling until things make sense again.

Keep a Happy File.

I also keep a “happy file”.  I print nice emails that I get from people and keep them in one place so I can go back and read them when I need a pick me up.

I also mark the nice things that people say to or about me on Twitter.com as “favorites” so I can pull those up when I'm feeling down. Here's how it looks. You can do this, too. http://twitter.com/#!/NicoleDean/favorites

Take Time to See how Far You've Come.

One thing that I talked about in the Q&A this month at www.IncomeCPR.com is that I always recommend to my coaching clients that they set up a binder with their monthly stats in it. It's like Mark said, this business is like running a marathon. Oftentimes, you don't realize how far you've come until you take a moment to look behind you. And, like Susanne said, look back 6 months or a year – at your list size, your traffic, your income… and see just how far you've come. That always helps to spur me on.

Understand that it's NOT Just You.

Sometimes it feels like bad stuff only happens to you. It doesn't. Just for fun, here's podcast that I recorded back in April 2009, the day that my pedal fell off my bike WHILE I was riding it.  I know I laughed really loudly in this recording – I apologize to your ears in advance!

Poop Happens and Wrestling with Moths – mp3 file

As I always say yes, you will fall. And, yes, poop happens – even to the “successful”.

Dust off those britches and get back into the game.

Hugs,
Nicole Dean

Check out this Recommended Resource:

Rachel Rofe & Ronnie Nijmeh created a cool course called Time Management Tricks.

Check it out if you want more info on organizing your day so you can spend less time in front of your computer — and more time living life.

If you've missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all –>

This week I asked our panel of experts a question that I've been thinking about lately.

“This question is about blog plugins. We all know about Akismet and All in One SEO and the other commonly known favorites.

Of all of the plugins that you've got installed on your own blog, tell us about 1 or 2 gems that you use that aren't as widely known.”

Shannon Cherry of List Building Promotion Secrets says:

Plug-in. Plug-in. Who's got the Plug-in?

I will admit I am almost as addicted to plug-ins as I am domain names. And why not? There are more than 10,000 of them out there to pimp out your blog. But if I had to narrow down my favorites, here are my top three:

• Thank Me Later. This one allows me to email first time commenters automatically. You can write up the email to remind them about your RSS feed or just to invite them to connect with you personally. (I do both!)

• SEO Scribe. This is a subscription based plugin (meaning you have to PAY for it). It works with All In One SEO Plug In to analyze each blog post for the best SEO. It finds keywords and event backlinks you can use. Best of all, the subscription can be used on multiple blogs at once (currently I use it on 4 of them).

• WPTouch iPhone Theme.This plugin will instantly make your site optimized for mobile browsers, while keeping your normal theme for people browsing your site on their PC. If you don’t use a heavily customized theme, then this plugin will be perfect to you.

Now there is ONE plug in I don't get that comes with the WP install: Hello Dolly! Can someone please tell me why that's in there?

Mark Mason of MasonWorld.com says:

This is an easy one for me.

I have 36 active plugins currently installed on MasonWorld.com, but the one I like the most is W3TotalCache (W3TC). I was previously using WPSuperCache, but I was having some page load time performance problems, particularly right after sending my list to my blog. So, I did some research and switched to W3TotalCache.

According to the W3TC people..

W3 Total Cache is the fastest and most complete WordPress performance plugin. Dramatically improve the speed and user experience of your site. Add browser, page, object and database caching as well as minify and content delivery network (CDN) to WordPress.

The cool thing is that W3TC uses Amazon S3 and Cloudfront (that the CDN thingy referenced in the blurb) to host some of the more frequently downloaded files on my site, and that helped performance a lot.

Regards,
Mark

Kelly McCausey of Work at Home Moms Talk Radio says:

I'm utterly dependent on the Broken Link Checker plugin. I have several WordPress sites with thousands of pages of content going back five years or more. Dead links are going to happen and I love how easy it is for me to remove or update them with this plugin. This is especially important with affiliate links that have gone dead but cleaning up dead links in general is important if you don't want to annoy your web visitors.

• Broken Link Checker

I'm using the WP-Invoice plugin on one of my service based websites where I often work long term with clients. The WP-Invoice plugin allows me to simply issue a web based invoice for monthly retainers and incidental projects. My client can then easily pay via PayPal. I love that I'm able to view pending invoices right within my WordPress site.

• WP-Invoice – Web Invoice and Billing

Lynette Chandler of TechBasedMarketing.com says:

Alright, I'll admit I'm partial to plugin since we developed it:)

1. List Authors Plus – this allows finer control over how authors are listed. You can display authors using the plugins' template tag or using sidebar widgets. Really handy when you have a bunch of accounts on your blog but not all account holders warrant a mention on your authors listing.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/list-authors-plus/

The rest of the list were not developed by us though we have more in the works

2. WP-Invites – allows you to create an invite code and only those who enter the correct invite code will be able to successfully register on your blog. I love this (and similar plugins) because we often request guest posts and we like to have our guests create their own account for both their convenience and ours. But at the same time we do not like to have the blog open for others to register either this stops unauthorized people and spammers from creating accounts yet still automates the author's account creation process.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-invites/

3. Syntax Highlighter and Code Prettifier Plugin for WordPress – I'm not sure not many people know about this but certainly not many non-techies know how to use this. I find  WP-Syntax great for affiliate sites – as in sites where affiliate managers post updates and codes etc. One of the problems with WordPress is, when you try to post a text article inside a textarea, you will get unexpected results with the line breaks. In short, it doesn't make easy copying and pasting. This allows you to create boxes for code and copy/paste text and also
makes it easy for people to copy and paste.

4. WP Mobile Edition – Pretty self explanatory – allows you to display a mobile version of your blog/site to those who are viewing on mobile devices.
http://crowdfavorite.com/wordpress/plugins/wordpress-mobile-edition/

5. Header-Footer – Don't you hate it when you have to install a gazillion plugins just to add a code to the header or footer of your site? Many don't realize, you don't have to. This allows you to add any type of code into your headers and footers and cut down on the number of plugins too, reducing that plugin mess (yay!)
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/header-footer/

6. RunPHP, PHPExec, PHP Execution – lets you add PHP code into your posts, pages. While true it works well only if you know what you're doing with PHP but oh it can help you do a multitude of things. Like automatically add your affiliates' ID to your products links on the page. I've used it many times to do that and am sure affiliates appreciate the extra help.

7. ThemePerPost – love this. Lets you use different theme for a post or page http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/themeperpost/

I'd have to end this by a small advise to do your due diligence on any of the plugins mentioned. While we have run it without problems and have not encountered rogue code in them but our servers may be configured differently than yours and also files on download pages change from time to time.

Got some feedback on Twitter from Warren Whitlock:

Denise O'Berry of DeniseOBerry.com says:

It's hard to believe that just a few years ago, small business owners had to struggle with learning how to code html or php if they wanted to build their own website. WordPress has made life so simple for do it yourselfers.

And it continues to get better and better as the platform matures and those cool techie folks out there create plugins that make our lives simpler.

Like most small business owners, my websites have the standard plugins to battle spam and allow for social sharing. But one of my favorite plugins — that's not so common — is Add Sig, a plugin that allows you to add standard and custom signatures at the bottom of your posts. You can find it here http://www.dagondesign.com/articles/add-signature-plugin-for-wordpress/

I've used this plugin to add guest blogger bios, affiliate products, email list sign up forms and many other options. It's simple and takes just a few minutes to enter or change without requiring a ton of technical knowledge.

Connie Ragen Green of ConnieGreen.com says:

I have found that less is more when it comes to plug-ins, so I choose them carefully before installing them on my blogs. The ones I'd like to share are
the broken link checker plug-in and the drafts dropdown plug-in.

I include links in most of my posts, and I always check them before I publish them. However, things beyond our control often happen, resulting in broken links and unhappy readers. The cure for this is the broken link checker plug-in, which lets you know when a link on your blog is no longer active. This gives you a chance to correct it, replace, it, or simply remove it.

I post regularly to two blogs, so I tend to write partial posts and save them as drafts. The drafts dropdown plug-in makes it so easy for me to choose
which draft I want to work on, saving me lots of time.

Pat Flynn of The Smart Passive Income Blog says:

Hi Nicole,

Here are a couple of gem plugins that most people probably don't know about:

• Broken Link Checker: this plugin is great because it will automatically detect any broken links on your WordPress blog, either links that you type in yourself that were just not typed in correctly, which happens from time to time, or links that used to work but do not anymore because the page that it points to is no longer available.

• Robots Meta: this plugin, which is a bit more advanced, allows you to choose a number of settings for your WordPress blog as far as what the search engine spiders can and cannot crawl through. So for example, if you want to create nofollow links for your comments or for your archive page, it's just a click of a button away. Also, each new page or post that you create has a setting where you can choose whether it should or shouldn't be indexed by Google, which comes in handy when you are creating more private type pages, such as landing pages for lead magnets for opting into an email list.

Cheers!

-Pat

Alice Seba of Contentrix says:

I'm pretty old school when it comes to marketing. I don't look for fancy marketing tools or plugins for every little thing. However, I am a big fan of saving time and automating things where it makes sense. With that in mind, I have to make a little plug for my own plug “Speedy APLC Publisher”. It is designed for our members at allprivatelabelcontent.com and it allows them to instantly load their PLR articles into WordPress. But the cool thing is, it can be used for any content. Whether it's PLR you bought elsewhere, articles from a ghostwriter or stuff you wrote yourself. As long as it's in .txt format, it can be uploaded.

It allows you to:

* Mass upload of articles in .txt format
* Schedule imported articles for publication e.g. Every 1 hour, 24 hours, 72 hours, etc.
* Upload the articles as drafts if you want to edit them before they are published.
* Choose your categories. Publish all articles in one category of your choice or individually select a category.
* Choose your authors. Assign all articles to one author or individually assign articles to author(s) of your choice.

It's a great timesaver, even if you plan to edit the content. All you do is upload the zip, make your setting and everything is ready for you to work your magic.

Here is a video showing how the publisher works.

Denise Wakeman of Blog Squad Tips says:

Great question, Nicole! I usually go for plugins that make things easier and automate tasks.

I especially like …

• Viper’s Video Quicktags: Super-easy way to add videos from YouTube and other video sharing platforms to your posts.

• Photo Dropper: Lets you easily find and add creative commons licensed photos to your posts from Flickr.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

I currently have 25 active plugins on my blog, but amazingly I don't have the broken link checker. I'll have to add that one today since it sounds really handy. Then have my Virtual Assistant go through the broken links for me and fix them.

As for my favorite plugins, it was easy for me to choose mine, and I was surprised that they hadn't been mentioned yet.

My absolute favorite three WordPress plugins are:

• WordPress Editorial Calendar
• Datafeedr Random Ads V2
• Page Links To

I also depend on Podpress to keep my podcast running, but I didn't think that was really a “hidden gem” so I'll just mention it in passing as my other most favorite plugin.

Here's a bit about each one so you can see why I love them.

1. WordPress Editorial Calendar.
Their description says:

The Editorial Calendar makes it possible to see all your posts and drag and drop them to manage your blog.

The Editorial Calendar is basically a way to organize and manage your blog posts.

I've found that it's especially useful if…

• You're a visual person
• You like to plan your posts and promos in advance
• You're outsourcing
• You have guest bloggers or a community blog where others are contributing to your blog
• You have theme days (like I do these Expert Briefs)
• You're doing a challenge or contest of some sort (like my month-long Computer Butt Challenge)

Here's a screenshot that I took on Monday (the 15th) of my blog calendar. You can see that I already had two blog posts scheduled for Tuesday, ready to post.

If I didn't have this plugin, I think I'd have gone crazy(ier) by now.

Click on the image if you'd like to see it full size.

2. Datafeedr Random Ads V2

Their description says:

The Datafeedr Random Ads plugin is a free plugin which allows you to simply and easily show random ads anywhere in your template files or using widgets.

Here's a video to show you how I use it on this blog. I have it installed on several other blogs, but thought you'd be most interested in seeing behind-the-scenes here.

3. Page Links To Plugin.

Their description says:

Allows you to point WordPress pages or posts to a URL of your choosing. Good for setting up navigational links to non-WP sections of your site or to off-site resources.

The easiest way to show you how this works is to point you to my navigation above. If you go to the top navigation where it says “Tools I Use in My Business” – hold your mouse over those words and you'll see a list of sub-pages.

If you click on some of the pages that display, you'll be taken to pages here on my blog. If you click on others, you'll go directly to other sites where you can learn more about the tools. I didn't have time to create pages for each tool yet, but wanted my readers to know what I personally use in  my business, so I started to list them there.

Here's what the plugin looks like when you're using it. This is my settings for my “Contact Me” page under “About Nicole” on my top navigation.

It's Your Turn.

So, now, I'll pose this question to you. What are your favorite lesser known plugins? I'd love to hear what you have on your blog!

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. I have created brandable reports from several of the previous Expert Brief columns that you can use to earn commissions by giving them away.

If you’re new to expert briefs, don’t miss these favorites:

• Are Internet Marketers Evil?
• How Do I Get More Traffic from iTunes?
• Do Successful Marketers actually use PLR or just promote it?
• What does an Internet Marketer's Office Look Like?

If you've missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all –>

Here are a few of my favorite Expert Briefs:

• Do Successful Marketers actually use PLR?
• Are Internet Marketers Evil?
• What is a Typical Day in an Online Business?

This week's topic is “Computer Butt” which I've talked about quite a bit on the blog in the past.

Definition: If you don't know what “Computer Butt” is – it's a phrase I coined describing the widening of one's keister (ie. buns, bottom, hinder, or Badonkadonk if you're a Trace Adkins fan) from sitting in front of a computer too long.

So, on that note, this week I asked our panel of experts …

“How do you fight computer butt?

Do you have a schedule that you can share with us?”

I think you'll find the answers this week interesting and hopefully motivating.

Connie Ragen Green of ConnieGreen.com says:

This summer I realized that I had become twice the person I used to be, and that was not a good thing. On top of that, my mentor, Armand Morin, challenged our mastermind group to a weight loss contest. Being super competitive, I decided that this was the time to take action.

I always joke about writing the perfect book on how to lose weight. It would have only 5 words – “Eat less and exercise more“. Even though this is exactly how it works, if this is an issue for you I'm sure you'll agree that it just isn't that simple, especially if you sit at your computer for hours at a time.

My main dilemma was that I do my best writing in the morning, and that's when I wanted to start walking and riding my exercise bike. My fear was that I would spend an hour exercising and then not be able to get back to my writing. I decided to experiment on Labor Day weekend, when I would have the time to spare.

It took me a few days to adjust, but now I am able to walk for 30 minutes around 7:30 in the morning, ride my exercise bike for about 20 minutes around 8, and be ready to write by 9. My writing has not suffered, and I have more energy than ever. I'm proud to announce that I have lost 20 pounds, and I plan to continue this until I am back to a healthy weight.

One additional benefit has been for my Yorkshire terrier, Sarah. She had not been able to go up the stairs since giving birth two years ago, and I had become accustomed to carrying her. After just a few weeks of walking with me each morning, she is now able to run up the stairs with my other dogs. She's gone from 5 1/2 pounds down to 4 pounds, and she is like a puppy again.

Alice Seba of Contentrix says:

Not that I have the figure of a supermodel, but the best way I've found to avoid Computer Butt is to NOT sit at the computer all day. A break is good for the body and the mind. With few exceptions, I generally only work up to a couple of hours at one time. I just can't do marathon work sessions anymore.

For activity, I try to participate in some type of physical activity at least once per day. Whether it's a brisk walk, a bike ride or a gym workout – the goal is to do SOMETHING. I must admit though, while I used to be very regimented about going to the gym, it has lost its charm for me. Instead, I prefer to make activity part of my day, part of my family time and outdoors if possible.

This summer, everyone in the family got a new bike (mine complete with a seat for our toddler) and we actually use our bikes not only for fun rides, but travel in our local area. It's been great for the figure, has saved a bunch of money on gas and hopefully has made our great Earth a little happier.

Mark Mason of MasonWorld.com says:

For guys it's not computer butt. It's computer gut. Before I started working on internet marketing at night, I used to exercise at night. For a long time, I dropped that habit. Over three years, I put on more than 20 pounds.

To combat that, I have added exercise back into my routine during the day, and I try to take runs with my iPod at night when I can muster up the motivation. To feel better about the lost “work time” I load my iPod with internet marketing podcasts, which keeps me current on lots of business issues.

Note from Nicole: If you're looking for good stuff to listen to on walks, Be sure to Click Here to Grab my Podcasts

Kristen Eckstein of the Ultimate Book Coach says:

I used to go to the gym four mornings every week for strength training and pilates – before it closed. Now I have my Google calendar set to give me a break each day – an hour to two hours depending on which day of the week. Instead of “lunch,” I take my break at the time my calendar dings at me to do so.

For at least 30 minutes of the break, I pop in an episode of I Love Lucy, Monk, The Muppet Show, or something else that's sitcom length. Then I break out the hula hoop and hula for the entire duration of the show. (The show preoccupies my mind so I don't get as tired or bored.) Once the show is over, if I have break time left I relax, have a snack (usually popcorn or grapes), and get my butt back into my office chair for more work.

Rumor has it my business is getting me a Wii Fit for Christmas in 2010. That's another way to work the gluteus maximus without realizing you're working it. I think the secret is to make exercise fun, so it doesn't feel like work.

Denise Wakeman of Blog Squad Tips says:

Sadly, I think I'm losing the battle with computer butt!

However, I do actively work to stay fit. On Mondays I do an hour of Pilates. Then, 3-4 times per week I work out at the gym: treadmill, elliptical and weight circuit. I also go for long runs on Sundays, 5-10 miles, with my running buddies.

I also make a point to stand up and walk away from my desk every couple of hours. Unfortunately, I usually end up in the kitchen for a snack, but I'm working on that too and have started actively counting my calories with calorie-count.com which helps me track every food and activity. As long as I burn more than I eat, I should be OK in the long run.

Scott Tousignant of Fat Loss Quickie says:

Simple… I make health and fitness the number one priority by scheduling my workday around my fitness breaks. It’s easy for me to do this because everyday I experience increased focus and productivity immediately after I exercise. Fitness totally improves my business and I’d be crazy to neglect it.

I like to start my day with a brisk walk. I use this time to clear my head and prepare for the day ahead of me. I reflect on the goals that I WILL be achieving throughout the day and I open my mind allowing ideas to flow freely. This is also a great time to become more in-tune with myself and the reasons why I MUST continue to progress with my business, while ensuring that my actions are in-line with my core values.

Often times I will kill two birds with one stone and listen to a coaching call or teleseminar download while I go for a walk. When I do this, the walk is no so much about ‘losing weight’ as it is about educating myself.

Every hour I take a 5 minute ‘health break’ and move my body. I’ll walk around for a minute and then perform a few stretches to loosen myself up and get the blood flowing to my lower limbs. By the way, if you sit at your desk all day, you are restricting blood flow to your lower leg. This often results in knee pain and other health issues.

Four days out of the week around 10 am I hit the gym. I now prefer to get out of the house and change the scenery. My wife and fellow work-at-home mom, Angie, however, still enjoys to do her quickie fitness break at home.

If I feel extra ambitious or need to clear my head around 2 pm I’ll go out on my bike and get the blood flowing to my brain and body. Mind you, this doesn’t happen everyday.

I’m just as busy as everyone else, I just choose to schedule health and fitness as my top priority. As crazy as it sounds, the more active I am, the more I get done in my business and the better I feel about myself and my actions. It’s about balance and that is a major driving force in my life. My daily goal is to experience balance in my life between family, work, and health.

When it comes to nutrition I make healthy foods convenient and unhealthy foods inconvenient. I have a fruit bowl, bottle of water, and a bowl of almonds and walnuts at my desk. There is no junk food in the house… and if there is, Angie has hidden it from me If I want junk food I have to leave the house, which is an inconvenience for me.

Water is a big key to my success. When I am dehydrated I have a difficult time focusing and my mind becomes very inefficient. I have also become aware that when I am dehydrated I tend to rummage through the cupboards looking to eat anything in sight.

Last but not least, I hold myself accountable to being active everyday. I do this in my support community, on my blog, and with accountability partners. I set short and long-term goals and ask my accountability partners to kick my butt if I don’t achieve them.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

Well, unlike last week where I asked the question because I had the answers, this week I asked because I needed advice. ((Sigh))

First of all, let me give kudos to my buds.

You're all awesome! Whether you realize it or not, you've inspired me.

Let me share a few things that have helped me over the years..

1. My best friend, the timer.

I use a timer for everything in my house. It is my lifesaver. So, for instance, I'll set the timer for 45 minutes of work, then I take 15 minutes to walk around, do laundry, exercise, head outside for a bit, whatever. It doesn't seem like much, but it really works on helping you stay focused — and off Facebook!

When I really need to lose weight fast, I try to break up my day so that I do focused work for 30-50 minutes, then do physical activity (like one of Scott's 10 minute workouts or squats or something) for 10-20 minutes then repeat. If I can do that 4-6 times in my day, that helps to keep my metabolism up all day long.

2. Wearing running shoes.

I find that it's silly, but if I wear my running shoes, I move more during the day than if I'm barefoot. Plus, I can't climb on the couch or in bed for a nap as easily.

3. Don't work weekends.

I try not to work much on the computer (if at all) on the weekends, unless I'm launching a big project (or if something major happened during the week- fun or otherwise).

4. Outsourcing.

I know, it's not directly related to exercise, but it keeps my butt out of the chair, which helps.

5. Freezer Cooking.

Again, I know it's not directly related, but if I have meals in my freezer that are healthy, I'm much much much less likely to order pizza at night or go out to eat.

6. Exercise 7 Days/Week.

I used to plan exercise days and plan my “recovery” days back when I was a gym rat. Now, I aim to work out every day so that when life gets in the way and I miss one, it's  no big deal.

7. Public Accountability.

It helps to have other people pestering me about how I'm doing. Accountability works.

How am I doing with this?

Honestly, I'm not doing so good right now. I've done MUCH better in the past than I am right now.

You are Invited to Get your Sexy Butt Back!

WHICH is why we'll be doing another Computer Butt challenge, hopefully starting next week. Stay tuned. Scott and his wife, Angie, are going to help us to beat computer butt for good!

(No, there will be no butt “before and after” pictures….)

Here's the program I'll be doing – which was designed by Angie Tousignant (Scott's awesome wife) to kick your computer butt in the … well, itself!

It's only $10 so I'm not even using my affiliate link because I think it's so underpriced and I want Scott and Angie to keep the cash.

http://www.fatlossquickie.com/Sizzlin-Circuits.php

Make sure you're on my blog notification list to the right so you don't miss the announcement when we go from Computer Butt to Sexy Butt! I hope you'll join me. (Please don't make me do it alone!!!)

I appreciate my friends who contributed their thoughts above and I appreciate you for sharing my day.

Please share your tips for beating computer butt in the comments below.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. Our list of Experts is growing. If you think of a successful business owner who is making the web and the world a better place (and making really good money in the process) and you'd love to see them answer these questions, please contact me and let us know.

Or if you're a successful business owner (preferably earning at least six figures) who meets those criteria and you'd like to contribute – tell me a bit about yourself and we'll get you added to the list.