How to Start the Big Project You've Been Putting Off - Peter Bregman I want to write a screenplay. I wanted to write one last year, but other work took more time than I expected, and I kept pushing “write screenplay” off my to-do list. I know I’m not alone in struggling to make incremental progress on long-term projects or goals. How do you get started when you have “all the time in the world”? Maybe you have a project with no deadline, like my screenplay. Doing something big and important is rarely as simple as just getting it done. I know the basic advice: break the work into smaller, more manageable chunks, focus on the next small step that will move you forward, set intermediate deadlines. It’s good advice. Because, ultimately, the reason we procrastinate on a big, long-term project isn’t just because we have too much time or don’t know where to start. We procrastinate on that big project precisely because it’s important. I’ve never written a screenplay. I’m afraid. My screenplay isn’t just mundane work; it’s work I care deeply about.
89 Simple Swaps That Could Change Your Life Whole grains for white, quality for quantity, Wii Fit for Mario Kart—just one smart swap can pave the way to a healthier and happier life. We decided to go all out and provide 89 “this for that’s,” so there are no excuses when it comes to making healthier choices! Fitness 1. Planks for Crunches OK have we said this enough? 2. Congrats on that 26.2-mile marathon. 3. In a perfect, outdoor world, flat roads rarely exist. 4. Trash that Cosmo-reading elliptical routine and surprise the body with a fun, calorie-burning cardio session. 5. Stretching out cold muscles could lead to injury. 6. We know that barbell looks tempting. 7. How often does someone complain about having to sit in a cubicle all day? 8. Okay, we get it. 9. Falling asleep at the wheel? 10. Skip the big machines (they’re sweaty anyway) and go for the little guys—free weights are more versatile and allow for a full range of motion in the joints. 11. Isolating muscles is so 2012. 12. Forget staying seated to work out the legs. 13.
How to Prioritize When Everything Is Important You know that sinking feeling you have when there's too much on your plate? When you try to tackle your tasks by priority, but it feels like everything's important? Don't get overwhelmed—it's a problem that everyone faces at some point or another, and while it's difficult to skillfully juggle multiple priorities and competing responsibilities, it's not impossible. It just so happens that there's a career that focuses specifically on juggling competing tasks and priorities: These people are called project managers. Photo by Josh S.P First, Answer the Question: Is Everything Really Important? Even if everything on your plate is supposed to be equally important, you still need a way to break down which ones you spend your time on, and how you slice up your time. Photo by Lisa Stevens.P Grill the boss. Get OrganizedP The goal of your system, whichever you select, is to take away the need for you to waste time deciding what to work on next, even when you have a lot on your plate.
The Disadvantages of an Elite Education Exhortation - Summer 2008 Print Our best universities have forgotten that the reason they exist is to make minds, not careers By William Deresiewicz June 1, 2008 It didn’t dawn on me that there might be a few holes in my education until I was about 35. It’s not surprising that it took me so long to discover the extent of my miseducation, because the last thing an elite education will teach you is its own inadequacy. I’m not talking about curricula or the culture wars, the closing or opening of the American mind, political correctness, canon formation, or what have you. The first disadvantage of an elite education, as I learned in my kitchen that day, is that it makes you incapable of talking to people who aren’t like you. But it isn’t just a matter of class. I also never learned that there are smart people who aren’t “smart.” What about people who aren’t bright in any sense? There is nothing wrong with taking pride in one’s intellect or knowledge.
How to Get Your Kid to Do Chores (Photo: Ruthie Hansen) There’s a new iPad app for parents to incentivize children to do chores. HighScore House! Co-founder Kyle Seaman tells us that they’ve tracked 150,000 tasks from about 6,000 users in their beta version (full version will launch in a couple months). HighScore House! Here are the top 10 tasks on HighScore House: Brush teeth (AM)Make bedHomeworkBath timeLaundryClean your bedroomHelp cookWash the dishes Feed the dogBrush teeth (PM) And the top 5 rewards: Video games and video game timeStaying up lateTV timeAllowanceSpecial treat
How To Make Your Resume Better [INFOGRAPHIC] 70 Reminders to Help You Break Any Barrier I am pleased to introduce this guest article by a new friend John, the creator of HiLife2B, where he hopes to inspire people and to help them achieve their dreams. Follow him on Twitter: @janyasor 1. Believe that even the smallest compliment can save someone’s life 2. Remember that one person can change an entire nation 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70.
Driving Tips to Save Gas - Save Gas This Summer Tactic No. 1: Coast to a Stop Brakes are necessary (duh!), but they're inherently wasteful: They take the kinetic energy of a moving car—energy it took pricey gasoline to generate—and turn it into heat that's lost to the air. Everyone knows that accelerating until the last moment then braking hard to stop is less efficient than slowly coasting to a red light. Tactic No. 2: Avoid Slowly Crawling Up to Speed Conventional wisdom says that jackrabbit starts consume more fuel. Tactic No. 3: Close Windows and Use a/c at High Speeds It's a fierce efficiency debate: Open the windows in summer to avoid running your energy-intensive air conditioner, or keep the windows closed and the a/c on to preserve your car's aerodynamic profile. Fuel-Sipping Basics Monitor Tire Pressure Keep your tires properly inflated, because low pressure increases rolling resistance. Plan Errands Carefully Reduce the miles you drive by running all your errands in one trip.