Stuff July 2007 I have too much stuff. Most people in America do. In fact, the poorer people are, the more stuff they seem to have. Hardly anyone is so poor that they can't afford a front yard full of old cars. It wasn't always this way. Stuff has gotten a lot cheaper, but our attitudes toward it haven't changed correspondingly. That was a big problem for me when I had no money. In fact these free or nearly free things weren't bargains, because they were worth even less than they cost. What I didn't understand was that the value of some new acquisition wasn't the difference between its retail price and what I paid for it. Companies that sell stuff have spent huge sums training us to think stuff is still valuable. In fact, worse than worthless, because once you've accumulated a certain amount of stuff, it starts to own you rather than the other way around. And unless you're extremely organized, a house full of stuff can be very depressing. Why would I do that?
14 Tips For Resolutions That Stick in the New Year Statistics show that only about 15% of New Years Resolutions are kept. With an 85% failure rate, it’s no wonder that the amount of resolutions made is dropping. You wouldn’t buy a product that is defective 85% of the time, so why buy into the annual hype about resolutions? A strategy that fails over four fifths of the time is broken. The question is, how do you fix it? Most resolutions come in the form of habit changes. Resolutions Require Strategy, Not Willpower I believe that most New Years Resolutions fail because people approach them incorrectly. With the right strategy, however, you can make habit changes a success. Create a Trigger.
50+ Personal Productivity Blogs You’ve Never Heard of Before (and about a dozen you probably have) - Stepcase Lifehack The personal productivity niche on the Web has grown by leaps and bounds since Lifehack launched only a few years ago. While a few sites dominate the rankings, there are lots and lots of lesser-known sites that are as good or even better than the “A-list” productivity blogs. Most of them are solo operations — the GTD newbie documenting his or her quest for greater control over their life, the coach or consultant sharing his or her knowledge with the world, the writer adding to his or her published work with notes, errata, and new findings. Their voice is personal, intimate even — and deserves to be heard. Of course, the big names are here too — after all, I owe some of them a tremendous debt for helping me get a grip on my own life. Enjoy! 43 Folders: Merlin Mann started a lot of us on this journey, so now he has to pay. Do you know any productivity blogs that the world should know about? Read full content
Get Smart: How to Boost your IQ by 10 points at Ririan Project “It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.” - Rene Descartes A person’s IQ was thought to be a fixed commodity largely determined by genetics. But is your IQ really set in stone or can you cheat a few extra points? Recent hints suggest that a very basic brain function called working memory might underlie our general intelligence, opening up the intriguing possibility that if you improve your working memory, you could boost your IQ too. Genetics determines a lot and so does the early gestation period. 1. Turn on your PC. 2. If you want to be a da Vinci or Edison, keep a sketch diary. 3. While browsing through the sports pages, take a peek at the crossword. 4. Certain fragrances help you think clearly and cut down on mistakes. 5. A recent study in the UK found that watching The Weakest Link for 30 minutes can raise your IQ by six points. 6. This is one of the easiest and most effective tip to improve the functioning of your brain immediately. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
How to deal with emotional eating - by Melissa Murphy - Helium Melissa Murphy - 565406's image for: "How to Deal with Emotional Eating" Caption: Location: Image by: If you are among the millions of Americans who are having trouble managing their weight because of emotional eating, you are not alone. The Roots of Emotional Eating Experiences surrounding food are among the earliest associations that are built in a person's psyche. Upon entering adolescence, people can develop eating disorders which are largely due to an emotional imbalance. How to Overcome Emotional Eating Knowing how emotional eating affects you and becoming aware of its foundation is the first step in managing the psychological aspect of eating. • Check in with yourself. • Record your feelings. • Distract yourself. Many people find themselves in an emotional trap that causes them to give in to unhealthy cravings which are often of the high fat, sweet or salty variety.
How to Quit a Bad Habit by Answering Four Power Questions - Stepcase Lifehack I bet there’s a habit you’d like to quit. Maybe you have even tried, but things haven’t worked out as you hoped. Unfortunately, the very idea of “quitting” can make things difficult for you: let’s discover why. The forbidden fruit is always very attractive. In short, the idea of “quitting” is not doing you any good: something positive need to become the engine of your habit change. 1. Quit! Let’s make a specific example: how could you turn the negative worded goal of “Quit smoking” into a positive one? Look for positive consequences. 2. I have a confession to make: sometimes I complain about something even if I don’t really want to change it. I guess it’s a way to release stress, and I accept it, even if I don’t particularly like it. What about you? 3. You’ve heard it many times. 4. Successful habit change requires a strong motivation. In short, you can answer the fourth question by writing down two separate lists: “Good things I move forward to”, “Bad thing’s I get away from.”
Early Retirement This article addresses the joys, challenges, and some practical aspects of retiring young. The author retired in 2001, at the age of 37 (same age as Rossini when he retired). The Depressing Truth Ask a wage slave what he'd like to accomplish. Why hasn't he accomplished all of those things? So he has no doubt that he would get all these things done if he didn't have to work? Suppose that the guy cashes in his investments and does retire. Retirement forces you to stop thinking that it is your job that holds you back. Be Happy or You're a Loser In olden times, the average person didn't expect to be happy. This article is written primarily for Americans. Suppose that you are retired. The idle rich in the old days were truly idle. Interaction with Other Humans Most jobs come with a social life. If you've got a spouse and kids, you're all set. The author has been personally fortunate in several respects. Travel: No to the Beach; Yes to the Organized Tour Non-profits are NOT the Answer Investing
Why You Shouldn't Feel Guilty About Stealing a Little Time for Yourself Whether you're single, married, or in a relationship, the demands of life and the expectations of those nearest and dearest to your heart can make finding time for yourself a huge challenge. Between dedicating time to parents , children, partners, siblings, in-laws, nieces, nephews, friends, colleagues, and work, it's hard to even dream of stealing a little time for yourself. Couple that with the guilt that many people, especially women, experience when they manage to find a few moments of time for themselves, and it becomes clear why so many people feel that finding time for themselves isn't worth the effort. But worth the effort it is, and not only because of the personal benefits you'll reap. Alone time has interpersonal benefits as well. As I described in my recent post, , the personal benefits of solitude are many. But in today's world, how do you find the time to give to yourself? As overscheduled as our lives are these days, it can be quite a challenge to find time for yourself.
Seven Traits of the Highly Remarkable Man 1stumbleupon Article by Kinowear contributor Jonathan Mead; follow him on twitter. Have you ever heard someone speak and felt compelled to soak up every word? You just want to know them, be around them and learn from. That’s the mark of a remarkable person. While some people are born with an enigmatic quality, most people become that way willfully. I’ve learned that there are certain traits that can be studied, practiced and learned that will make you remarkable. So here’s what you have to do… 1. This isn’t about being an ego maniac (see: Kanye West), it’s about being fully grounded in your own unique genius. The truly great man knows he is great, but doesn’t feel he has to prove it. When you’re remarkable, you know it. 2. It’s been wisely said that “perfection is the enemy of the good.” While all truly prolific people know this, they also can’t help but want to exceed and push the boundaries of what is considered acceptable. 3. You’ll work while other people are sleeping. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Lies We Tell Kids May 2008 Adults lie constantly to kids. I'm not saying we should stop, but I think we should at least examine which lies we tell and why. There may also be a benefit to us. I'm using the word "lie" in a very general sense: not just overt falsehoods, but also all the more subtle ways we mislead kids. One of the most remarkable things about the way we lie to kids is how broad the conspiracy is. Since we all agree, kids see few cracks in the view of the world presented to them. The conspiracy is so thorough that most kids who discover it do so only by discovering internal contradictions in what they're told. Through the reading of popular scientific books I soon reached the conviction that much in the stories of the Bible could not be true. I remember that feeling. Protection If you ask adults why they lie to kids, the most common reason they give is to protect them. That seems so obvious it seems wrong to call it a lie. Life can be pretty good at 10 or 20, but it's often frustrating at 15.
7 Powerful Steps to Overcoming Resistance and Actually Getting Stuff Done | zen habits By Leo Babauta Getting things done is really about one thing, and one thing only: overcoming the resistance to doing what we need to do. OK, I would add a couple more steps to that, to ensure that we’re managing our tasks correctly: 1. Have all our projects and tasks stored in an external system (out of our heads), such as a to-do list or lists. 2. 3. And I would submit it’s the last step that’s the most important (although I wouldn’t ignore the other two). That’s Resistance. As Stephen Pressfield writes in his excellent book on this topic, The War of Art “There’s a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don’t, and the secret is this: It’s not the writing part that’s hard. The War of Art is all about Resistance, not only for writers and other artists, but for anyone trying to pursue their dreams or become what they’re meant to be. I fight Resistance every single day, and I thought you might be interested in some of the ways I fight and beat Resistance, daily. 1. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.