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Posts tagged iPhone
How to Start Your Week With Your Batteries Fully Charged
May 14th
Most people hate starting their week.
(And thus, Monday gets a bad rap.)
Many come back to work dragging worse than when they left Friday afternoon.
Are you one of those individuals that dreads restarting the work week?
What would it take to start the week fully charged?
Starting on Empty
Do you come back from your weekend needing another weekend to recover?
“How to start the week” is one of the most popular questions that I am asked.
Ironically, much of the “starting the week” stress is self-inflicted.
It is either due to not being prepared or irresponsible behavior over the weekend.
“If you start your week with nothing in your tank…
then it is bound to be a rough start.”
Ever start your day and realize that you forgot to plug-in your phone the night before?
Unfortunately, many people do this with their body.
And then they wonder why Mondays are so tough.
Start Fully Charged
If you want to start your week right, you need to take steps to take care of yourself and your obligations.
Here are 10 Ways to Start the Week with Your Batteries Fully Charged:
- Get Enough Rest - Many people claim they need a weekend to recover from the work week. However, when they get there, they end up getting less sleep than during the week. Have the discipline to get the rest you need. If your tank is empty when you walk in the door Monday, it’s going to be a rough week.
- Know Where You Are Going – Starting your week without reviewing your calendar is like driving your car with a blindfold, you are going to hit something. Know where you are going before the week starts. Review your calendar in advance.
- Know What You Have to Do – Your todo list is just as important. If you are unaware of what you have to do and when it is due, you are setting yourself up for a fall. Look at your list before you leave the house. You just might remind yourself of something you need to be ready for.
- A Good Finish, Allows a Good Start – Ever come back to a project that you left in disarray? It’s a mess. Trying to figure out where you were and where everything goes. Make sure you finish the previous week right. Clean up before you leave the office and tie up loose ends. That way, you won’t walk into a mess upon your return.
- Do Your Homework – Many people take the weekend “off” as literal. Meaning they don’t do anything to prepare for the next week. However, you have to do your homework. If you have a big presentation, prepare for it. If you have an assignment that is due, finish it. Just because you aren’t in school doesn’t mean you don’t have homework.
- Workout – Want to start you week full of energy? Start it with a workout. Some fear that this will wear them out before they get to work. Quite the contrary. It will pump you up. And fill you with confidence.
- Start Early – It’s true, the early bird gets the worm. Opportunity favors the early. If you have to pick one day a week to get an early start, Monday would be the day. Arriving at the office before the rush will let you get a head start.
- Motivate Yourself – Need some inspiration to start your week? Read something motivational. I keep several of my motivational books, quotes, and even video clips nearby, in case I need that extra push to go out and attack the world.
- Start the Work – A great way to start your week fully amped up is to finish something early. Do an important task before the week even wakes up Monday morning. (See #7)
- Positive Attitude – Bring your best attitude to the new week. Being positive can overcome many of the week’s obstacles. Your attitude defines your reality more than you think.
Charge Your Batteries
Don’t start your week on empty.
Get the rest. Do the homework. And get motivated.
Start your week fully charged.
Question: Do you start your week fully charged?
3 Diet Hacks to Help You Lose 10 Pounds in 21 Days
May 14th
Weight loss doesn’t have to be a slow process that takes months on end of bland foods and long, boring workouts. You can safely lose a significant amount of weight in less than a month. This article shows you how. Following the tips in this article will help you lose 10 (or more) pounds in just 21 days. I’m not going to recommend a “miracle” nutritional supplement, expensive workout equipment, or hokey gimmick either. Just 3 things that work, quickly.
The weight loss tips in this article are supported by scientific research and don’t require you to buy anything, starve yourself, or do anything that’s dangerous or downright silly. All you have to do is make a few changes to the way you exercise and eat.
1. Stop Doing Hours of Slow, Boring Cardio
Forget about spending hours every day on the treadmill to burn calories. Doing this doesn’t work. Walking at a moderate (brisk) pace will only burn about 295 calories an hour. Do this every day for a week and you won’t lose a pound. The better way to exercise for weight and fat loss is to do interval style resistance training workouts .
Also referred to as circuit training, this style of workout burns twice as many calories. Studies also show that doing some type of resistance training (calisthenics, kettlebells, weights, etc.) is also superior to cardio for burning off fat, especially abdominal fat which hurts your health and hides your 6 pack.
When you workout this way your body will continue to burn calories from your stored body fat for up to 36 hours post-workout. This means you’ll continue to lose weight after your workout is done. These workouts will help you build muscle too which will have you looking better when the weight you want to lose is off.
Circuit style workouts are easy to perform. You can do them barbells, dumbbells, and machines at your gym. One of the best way is to do bodyweight workouts. This is because they can be done anywhere, are really effective, and don’t require any equipment.
When you train this way the key is to choose exercises that train several muscle groups (squats, push ups, pull ups, shoulder presses, etc.). This will make the workout more challenging and burn more calories. Select 4-5 exercises so ensure all of your major muscle groups are being trained. This can include: squats (legs), push ups (chest/shoulders/arms), pull ups (back/biceps), and military press (shoulders).
You’ll perform each exercise one after the other with no rest between sets. Only rest after you’ve performed the last exercise of the circuit. Rest as little as possible between circuits. Do 8-10 reps per set and repeat 3-5 times every workout.
Below is a sample bodyweight exercise circuit training workout for fat loss.
- Squats
- Push Ups
- Burpees
- Pull Ups
Here’s a circuit workout that can be done with a dumbbell or kettlebell.
- Two Handed Swings
- Standing Shoulder Press
- Squats
- 1 Arm Rows
If you are just getting started or back into a workout routine give yourself a chance to get used to the intensity of these workouts. Rest as long as you have to between circuits and do as many reps as you can with 10 per exercise being your goal. Stick to it and you’ll be doing these workouts like a pro.
2. Cut the Carbs
This is probably the most important tip to follow. It alone can help you lose 10 or more pounds in 21 days. Eating a low carbohydrate diet turns on the fat loss switch in your body and by getting it to use your stored body fat as energy. You’ll also lose excess water weight too. Best of all you don’t have to obsess over calories or reading labels.
When I write cut the carbs I don’t mean that you have to avoid them entirely. You simply need to limit certain types. Once you lose the weight you can even eat them albeit in limited quantities.
The foods you need to really limit for the next 21 days include processed carbohydrates (bread, cookies, pasta, rice) and simple sugars (candy, fruit juice, and soda). You can pretty much each all of the vegetables you like. Fruits in small amounts are okay too. All in all, your daily carbohydrate quota should not exceed 75 grams. Don’t worry about counting carbohydrates excessively or reading the label for every food you eat. Instead follow this simple tip, if it’s white or comes in a bag or box don’t eat it and you’re most likely eating the right amount. If you do want to count carbohydrates, use one of the many websites or apps that does the counting for you. I recommend reading this Lifehack article for more great tips to eliminate grains from your diet.
In addition to limiting certain types of carbohydrates, the next thing you need to make sure of is that you eat plenty of protein and healthy fats. High protein foods you should eat at every meal include eggs, fish, pork, and red meat. You do not have to count grams of protein either. Just make sure the protein you eat is about the size of the palm of your hand at every meal and you’ll be on track to get enough every day. Last but not least, eat plenty of fat at every meal. You’ll stay full longer between meals. Fat also makes your food taste better too. Limit corn and other vegetable oils and instead make sure you get your fat from avocados, coconut, and olive oil. Almonds and macadamia nuts are also good sources of healthy fats.
3. Ditch Diet Soda and Drink Lemon Water Instead
I know, diet sodas don’t have calories and taste good. The way their bubbles make your mouth tingle feels great too. Unfortunately, they can kill your weight loss progress. Studies show that drinking diet soda can actually make you eat more and gain weight. Scientists believe this is because the artificial sweeteners in these drinks send signals to your brain that make you want to eat, even if you’re not hungry.
Instead of drinking diet soda I suggest you drink cold lemon water. Doing so has many benefits. You’ll feel full longer between meals and because of the lemon juice in the water you’re body will digest food slower and can even help keep your energy levels stable. One study shows drinking cold water can help you burn more calories too.
Drinking your water before you eat may also help you eat less at every meal.
Conclusion
Make these 3 tips part of your life for 21 days and you’ll easily lose 10 pounds. More important, they will become habits that you follow for the days, weeks, and months to follow. Then you’ll really reap their benefits that go beyond weight loss to healthier, stronger, more energetic you!
Sources: (1) Fowler SP, Williams K, Resendez RG, Hunt KJ, Hazuda HP, Stern MP. Fueling the obesity epidemic? Artificially sweetened beverage use and long-term weight gain. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008 Aug;16(8):1894-900. (2) Ostman E, Granfeldt Y, Persson L, Björck I. Vinegar supplementation lowers glucose and insulin responses and increases satiety after a bread meal in healthy subjects. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2005 Sep;59(9):983-8.
(Photo credit: Diet via Shutterstock)
Curt is the founder of Stayfitcentral.com, a website which features reviews, guides, and other information to help people buy the right nutritional supplements and fitness products for their specific needs. Curt has published numerous fitness, nutrition, and health related articles online at leading online publications including: eDiets, iVillage, and Askmen.
The Illustrated 99% Conference 2012: An Epic Episode in Words & Pictures!
May 13th
Wendy MacNaughton captures the nuances of this year's 99% Conference - from hairstyles to hand gestures - in an awesome illustration series.
Public Service Announcement: Your Phone DOES Shut Off (And So Do These Other Things)
May 13th
Due to the widespread confusion and misinformation on the following subjects, please take a few moments of your time to alert yourself to the following:
It’s Okay to Unplug…
Your phone. The impulse that you must answer anything that rings dates back to olden times when people had to answer the phone as there was no other way of knowing who was calling or whether it was an emergency. The advent of technology such as caller ID, voice mail, and text messaging has freed us from this urgency. We are now able to tell who is calling us, decide whether we are free to pick up, and the caller has the option of leaving a message which we can then use to determine the action we need to take.
You are hereby officially allowed to turn off your ringer or your phone altogether for important occasions like: family dinners, driving a car, sleeping, and having anything else you need to concentrate on. Please note that this permission extends to both work and personal phones.
The TV. The average American watches 5-6 hours of television a night. The percentage of quality entertainment on the 50,000+ stations currently in existence is approximately 7%.
In contrast, human beings have the capacity to perform up to 100 billion different tasks at any given time, from playing with their children to starting their own business to lying in a hammock under a tree and watching what shapes the clouds take. The average human being utilizes around 0.000001% of these abilities on a daily basis.
None of these statistics are scientific, but they’re probably pretty darn close. Turn off the TV.
Twitter/Facebook. You will never be able to catch every single remark your friends/random celebrities have made. You will never manage to see every picture someone posts of the dinner they’re having which I’m sure is magical in person but just looks like a glob on a plate when viewed on a computer screen. Your friends will not hate you because you missed their witty 140-character review of Ice Road Truckers—and if they do, you hereby have permission to find new friends.
On the rare occasions when social media is used to impart truly significant information like the birth of a child or the arrival of a hurricane, be assured that you will eventually hear the news by some other means even if you miss the tweet/post about it. Your sister will undoubtedly mention the arrival of your new nephew the next time you talk to her. You will see things like trees and cars flying past your window. You will know the big things without having to constantly monitor for them. Everything else is just fluff. Entertaining fluff, granted, but still fluff.
Your e-mail notifications. E-mail is a non-urgent form of communication. By its very nature, it is sent out into cyberspace with the understanding that it will be opened and read whenever the recipient gets to it/feels like it. There is no way for the sender to know when this will happen. If the sender has an urgent message to convey, it should be done by another method. This is the responsibility of the sender to understand.
As such, there is no need for you, as the recipient, to have a little pop-up notification alert you every single time a message comes in. This is the equivalent of the Postal Service taking each individual piece of mail the moment it’s dropped in a mailbox and delivering it immediately—by standing outside your window and tapping on the pane, waving the letter in the air and mouthing “Got another one!” (Then coming back five minutes later when another letter is sent.)
Turn off the notifications. It will be okay. I promise you.
Addendum
If you feel any other devices/sources of distraction should be added to this PSA, please feel free to leave your vote in the comments.
(Photo credit: Hand Press Power Button via Shutterstock)
Kelly Gurnett runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits, where she documents her attempts to rid her life of the things that don’t matter and focus more on the things that do. You can follow her on
9 Great Last Minute Mother’s Day Gifts
May 12th
There’s nothing like waking up the day before Mother’s Day 2012 not having any clue what you are going to get for the lady that put up with you for so many years. It’s a little too late to order anything online but that doesn’t mean you can’t find something awesome for your Mom on her special day.
Here are 10 last minute Mother’s Day gifts that are both thoughtful and easy to procure at a moment’s notice.
Surprise breakfast (or lunch or dinner)
You can really show your mom that you care by cooking her a meal and bringing it to her for a surprise breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Cooking her one of her favorite foods is the best way to get her Mother’s Day started on the right foot. Oh, and if you are a terrible cook, then may you just want to buy and bring her some food instead.
Flowers (duh)
While flowers aren’t the most “creative” type of Mother’s Day gift, the are one of the most popular. You can go all out and get a huge pre-made arrangement with all of your Mom’s favorite flowers. Or you can hit a store that sells single flowers where you can create your own bouquet. This will put a little “uniqueness” in a somewhat non-unique gift. And don’t forget the chocolates.
Gift certificate for traveling spa treatement
It may be a tad late for this one, but if you have a local spa that is open on Saturday give them a call and see if they do home visits. If so, get a gift certificate for your mom for a home spa day so she can have herself pampered. A good “side-gift” with this one is some candles and bath gels or even some of her favorite perfume.
Bake
All mothers like sweets and pastries. Ok. Everybody likes sweets and pastries. So, look up some recipes online, write down some ingredients, go to the store and procure them, and have a little baking day before Mother’s Day. Make her favorite cookies, cake, or pie. This is a good gift because you are putting some of your time and thought into it.
Create a Mother’s Day mix
I remember growing up and listening to a lot of the music that my mom liked. It was quite an eclectic mix. Show her you know what she likes by buying her some of her favorite music on the Amazon MP3 store or iTunes and make her a mixed CD. Or, if you want to get real crazy, go grab an iPod Nano and fill it up with all of her favorite music. This works really well for a “non-techy” kind of mom who may not know exactly how to load up all of her songs to an MP3 player.
Clean her living space
I personally can’t stand cleaning, so if I cleaned my Mom’s house for her it would be probably one of the most astounding things she has ever seen. Ever. Instead of just doing regular cleaning which gets done on a regular basis, why don’t you do some of the more “hardcore cleaning” like clearing out a basement or attic, cleaning out gutters, “summerizing” the outside of her house, or even rearranging parts of her house that she has wanted to have done for years.
Car maintenance
If there is anything that needs done to your mom’s car like an oil change, brakes, tires, inspection, etc. then set her up an appointment with her local garage and foot the bill. As a side bonus you could fill her gas tank and get the car detailed inside and out or even do it yourself.
Clean up her PC or teach her some tech
If your mom is like mine she knows just enough about her computer to be dangerous. Take a couple of hours on Mother’s Day to “tune-up” her PC or Mac. Also, if your mom has a ton of questions about technology you could give her a made up “coupon” for your time to show her how to use a certain application or even a new device.
Write for her
If you are a writer then put your talents to good use on Mother’s Day by writing your mom something heartfelt, funny, and sincere. Instead of the normal “thank you and I love you” inside of her mandatory Mother’s Day card, get some decent stationary and truly write for her. Let her know how much you care about her and how important she is in your life. Write about some of your memories growing up with her. People love to be remiscent, and writing something to bring that out can be one of the best Mother’s Day gifts of all.
Any other ideas for last minute Mother’s Day gifts from all you sons and daugters out there? If so, please throw them in the comments to help each other out!
(Photo credit: Pink daisy, old stylized. Still life on white via Shutterstock)
Ask the Entrepreneurs: 21 Systems to Boost Business Productivity for Good
May 11th
Ask The Entrepreneurs is a regular series where members of those involved in the Young Entrepreneur Council are asked a single question that aims to help Lifehack readers level up their own lives, whether in a area of management, communication, business or life in general.
Here’s the question posed in this edition of Ask The Entrepreneurs:
What productivity system can you not live without as an entrepreneur?
1. Manage Projects With Asana
Although Asana is a project management tool it doubles as a productivity system by making our team and clients more efficient every day. By tracking, assigning and follow up on individual tasks, Asana allows us to eliminate the noise and focus on what action has to be taken today.
-Kelly Azevedo, She’s Got Systems
2. Share Files Through Dropbox
This must-have app is installed on all our laptops, tablets, and phones. Since we’re often traveling or working remotely, Dropbox is absolutely essential in helping the whole team stay literally in sync. In addition, it makes updating and distributing decks that need to stay extremely up-to-date, like our Media Kit, very simple and efficient.
3. Check It Off on Ta-da List
Ta-da List is the simplest way that I’ve found to create and share a checklist of action items for our team. Team members claim the items that they are working on by checking them off. We have staff ranging from Palo Alto to Senegal (an eight-hour time difference), and Ta-da List keeps us on the same page.
4. Producteev Keeps Up Productivity
Producteev is a cross-platform productivity application. It works online, on Desktop and across mobile applications to help streamline your personal or corporate activities. Producteev is ideal for small teams and we use it extensively in my businesses.
5. Keep Track of Tasks on Any.DO
I organize my life around “to-dos” and without a doubt the best app to organize these tasks is Any.DO. It’s simple and beautiful, which makes it a pleasure to use on a daily basis.
6. Track the Noteworthy on Evernote
Without a doubt, Evernote. I keep all meeting notes, client info and personal ideas in one place, and am able to access anything and everything from any of my devices on the go. I’ve used it religiously for the past couple years, and can’t help but wonder, “What the heck did I do before Evernote?”
-Matt Cheuvront, Proof Branding
7. Get It Back With RescueTime
RescueTime is a great app that runs in the background on your computer. It graphs your activity and breaks it down onto a scale from “very distracting” to “very productive.” It helps me to find the leaks in my productivity so that I can address them and get the most out of my time.
8. Stop Guessing With Wunderlist
Wunderlist has become a wonder for me. Not only is it very easy to input all of your projects, your clients and their associated priorities, but the accessibility of it constantly syncing to all of your portable devices, such as your smartphone, tablet and computer. It is unrivaled and has made my life that much easier, whether in the office or on-the-go.
9. Root Back to BasecampHQ
I’ve used a ton of others and even tried to have my own built, but I always come back to BasecampHQ for project management.
-Roger Bryan, RCBryan & Associates
10. Keep an Eye Out With Trello
Trello allows me to easily keep track of our major tasks and the stage of development on each. It’s a simple and intuitive interface is perfect for web development teams. Best of all, it’s free.
-Patrick Curtis, WallStreetOasis.com
11. Money Matters on Freshbooks
Client perception is important when you’re small. They need to see you have your act together, especially on the basics. If you can’t get that right, how can you handle their business? Invoicing and expensing with Freshbooks makes it easy for me to look good and work efficiently.
12. Day-to-Day on Google Calendar
Without Google Calendar I’d never get anything done. Since the calendar is web-based, I always have access to it whether it’s on my laptop, iPad, or smartphone. I also use the calendar to block off times when I want to focus on a task for several hours straight.
13. Capture Leads on Instant Customer
This CRM system allows me to capture leads when public speaking or networking. From the audience, people can SMS to opt-in to my email list and special offer. Or they can give me a business card, and minutes after I scan it in, it sends them a series of pre-programmed emails with follow-up resources, and a promo offer.
-Michael Margolis, Get Storied
14. Top the To-Do on Google Tasks
I’m a very process-oriented person and I need to have a list of things to accomplish every day. Google Tasks, which is part of your Gmail, is a free task-list service. I update my tasks constantly and it keeps me focused each day.
15. Mix Business With Pleasure on Yammer
Yammer keeps my whole team organized, on track, and in-the-know on all important communication for a particular project. It’s where we share files, discuss goals, and most importantly, where my virtual team has an opportunity to build real relationships with their peers.
-Natalie MacNeil, She Takes on the World
16. Stay Up-to-Date Through Glasscubes
My team and I use Glasscubes on a daily basis for managing documents, keeping track of tasks and organizing information. It’s great because it’s really cut down on the amount of emails we were sending back and forth — and helps keep track of content and its status.
-Heather Huhman, Come Recommended
17. Keep It Clear
I’m finding a nice balance with Clear, a new iPhone app that’s gotten tons of attention because of the way the designers rethought the touch screen user interface. Underneath, it’s a very basic to-do system, but I’ve never been big on bells and whistles when it comes to productivity. The truly incredible UI is the kicker, and seems to fit well with how I prioritize in my head, so it’s stuck!
18. Just Do It With Do.com
I use Do.com to manage all of my various business projects. It helps me track who is doing what and what is left to be done on any given project. Track time, billable hours, share files, etc. — This site can do it all for free. When I discovered it, I knew I would never go back to emails or Excel for managing projects.
19. Hire a Remote Assistant
As a startup social entrepreneur, there is absolutely no way that I could afford a traditional executive assistant. Through YourRemoteAssistant.com, I have a full-time assistant for just $1,099 per month. This serve has enabled me to delegate in an entirely different way at a cost that my organization can afford.
-Garrett Neiman, CollegeSpring
20. Pomodoro Technique for Top Productivity
Apps and project management tools can help you manage and prioritize tasks effectively, but when it comes to getting stuff done, use the Pomodoro Technique. Dedicate laser focus to one and only one task for 25 minutes — make sure to use a timer! Once the timer goes off, take a 5-minute break. I find that when I use this technique, I tend to not get distracted by small urgent things.
21. Teux Deux
Teux Deux is perfect for simple to-do lists and I love the accompanying iPhone app!
(Photo credit: Steve Jurvetson via Flickr – CC BY 2.0)
The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment and underemployment and provides entrepreneurs with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of their business’s development and growth.
How Do I Stop Procrastinating When I’m Surrounded By Procrastinators?
May 11th
I was meeting the new lady I’m dating at our local federal tax center before going out to dinner with her. This is because when it comes to filing her income tax returns, she’s a chronic procrastinator. This particular day was the deadline for filing tax returns and when we spoke just the night before, my lady friend revealed that she had not even started on her income tax yet.
Because of her procrastination, she would have to get to one of those tax preparation services before work and pick up her completed return after the work day is over. The plan was to meet her at the federal tax office where she will be dropping off her completed return.
When I got to the building, the staff already set up huge bin containers in the lobby for people coming in to drop off their returns on deadline day. As I was sitting in the lobby waiting for my lady to arrive, I was actually quite shocked to see a steady, continuous stream of people coming in to drop off their returns.
The staff told me that this would be the scene all through the evening until midnight when the deadline passes. So it seems that my lady is in good company of many procrastinators who also put off doing their taxes until last minute.
Because procrastination is often a general habit, I’m willing to bet that these folks are major procrastinators in other areas of their lives besides just getting to their income taxes on time. And since many people are often surrounded by other procrastinators, the habit of putting off things they don’t like doing becomes quite contagious.
Some of the government staff actually joked to some of the public, “See you next year!”
So this implies that the staff already knows that the procrastinators will likely repeat the same thing next year and make a frenzied run into the tax center just before the deadline.
So if you can relate to this, you might be asking yourself, “How do I stop procrastinating?”
Solution To Procrastination
Many productivity experts will suggest that a way to beat procrastination is to break up challenging tasks into little pieces. It is quite often easier to get little successes which will all add up over time to become a big success. Indeed this is helpful but I personally think that in order to really get over major procrastination, much more drastic measures must be taken.
What I always suggest to procrastinators during my talks to audiences is to spend a bit less time around other procrastinators and instead, actively spend more time with people who are action takers. Like-minded people tend to motivate each other and if you get involved with the right group, you could end up with a few new friends who will be happy to constantly keep you in check.
This is a secret weapon for many successful people who can’t afford to let procrastination creep back into their lives. They use such groups of other action takers to keep motivating them to push on. In fact, in many groups, people will go as far as helping each other keep accountable for their actions and more importantly, non-actions. Now that’s effective teamwork for success.
We see these types of interactions between people in high level sports teams as well as business groups (mastermind groups). People are there to push each other and get pushed to keep procrastination down to a bare minimum.
Sometimes it costs membership fees to be in certain groups but if it’s the right group that can influence you to take action rather than procrastinate, the money is well worth it. I’m in such a group myself that costs me $2,400 per year to participate in (I do what I advocate here).
So hopefully my new lady friend will start to procrastinate less if she hangs around more action oriented people. I’m sure that she doesn’t want to spend another year running around like a headless chicken during the income tax deadline.
(Photo credit: Colleagues at Water Cooler via Shutterstock)
Clint Cora is a motivational speaker, author & Karate World Champion based near Toronto, Canada. Get his FREE 3-part Personal Development Video Series on how to expand your comfort zone and finally conquer even your most daunting goals in life.
Why Managing Your Time Makes You More Creative
May 11th
You might think that time management and creativity are bit like chalk and cheese. If you’re a creative type (or if you want to be more creative), then all the usual advice about organizing yourself and avoiding procrastination might just not seem to apply. After all, isn’t a bit of disorganization and procrastination just part of the creative process?
Well, you might be perfectly happy doing your creative thing while everything around you is in a state of chaos. There’s a good chance, though, that some simple time management skills will hugely boost your chances of actually finishing that novel, or completing that painting.
Good Time Management Frees Up Extra Creative Hours
When I talk to writers, one big problem crops up over and over again: finding the time to write.
However much you love your creative work, you need time for it. That means being organized in the rest of your life: finishing your day job on time, getting the chores done efficiently, scheduling your creative sessions in your calendar, and so on.
Yes, time management might not seem nearly as exciting as creating your new composition, or sketching out some ideas … but it’s a critical support for your creativity.
Good Time Management Helps You Stay Focused
Does your creative time ever end up as a few hours of web surfing and smartphone fiddling?
Most of us struggle to focus, and creative types are no exception. Sure, you’ll have days when you’re completely in the zone … but to get to that point, you probably need to push past the initial few minutes when you’re tempted to procrastinate.
By learning to sit down and concentrate on one task at a time, you’ll be doing your creativity a huge favor.
Good Time Management Helps You Organize Big Projects
If your creative work involves big, complicated projects – like publishing a comic book, producing an album, putting on a live event, or writing a novel – then you’re going to be juggling a lot of moving pieces.
To avoid everything falling down around you, you’ll need strong organizational skills. This is a key part of time management and, even if you think you’re “just not very organized,” it’s something you can work on.
My rule of thumb is to put as much as I can onto paper, rather than keeping it in my head – even if it’s just little stuff, like “don’t forget to buy milk.” That way, I free up more mental RAM for important stuff, like mulling over the newest plot twist in my novel…
Good Time Management Lets You Know When to Be Creative
We all have peaks and troughs of creative energy during the day. You might be at your best at 9 – 11am, but you may have friends who thrive at 6 – 8pm.
It’s important to know when your personal peaks are, so that you can harness them for your creative work. Let’s say you need to do a few chores on Saturday and you also want to work on your latest poem: if your best creative hours are in the morning, you’ll want to leave those chores for the afternoon.
I know this might sound like it’s obvious – but it’s surprising how few of us are careful about scheduling things so that we can use our most energized times to the full.
If your life involves a lot of creative activity (or if you wish it did!) then drop a comment below. Let us know what works for you, or what you’re struggling with.
This guest post is by Ali Luke. Ali is currently on a virtual book tour for her novel Lycopolis, a fast-paced supernatural thriller centered on a group of online roleplayers who summon a demon into their game … and into the world. Described by readers as “a fast and furious, addictive piece of escapism” and “absolutely gripping”, Lycopolis is available in print and e-book form. Find out more at www.lycopolis.co.uk.
6 Types of Motivation Explained
May 11th
What makes people do what they do? Why do some people succeed while others fail? The answer just might be motivation. We know that from an early age motivation prompts us to want to learn and exhibit different types of behavior and stimulates us to accomplish new feats of success. As we grow and mature through the different stages of our lives, we hopefully learn what motivates us and what does not.
What is motivation?
Motivation is generally defined as the force that compels us to action. It drives us to work hard and pushes us to succeed. Motivation influences our behavior and our ability to accomplish goals.
There are many different forms of motivation. Each one influences behavior in its own unique way. No single type of motivation works for everyone. People’s personalities vary and so accordingly does the type of motivation, that is most effective at inspiring their conduct.
Types of Motivation
Incentive
A form of motivation that involves rewards, both monetary and nonmonetary is often called incentive motivation. Many people are driven by the knowledge that they will be rewarded in some manner for achieving a certain target or goal. Bonuses and promotions are good examples of the type of incentives that are used for motivation.
Fear
Fear motivation involves consequences. This type of motivation is often one that is utilized when incentive motivation fails. In a business style of motivation often referred to as the, “carrot and stick,” incentive is the carrot and fear is the stick.
Punishment or negative consequences are a form of fear motivation. This type of motivation is commonly used to motivate students in the education system and also frequently in a professional setting to motivate employees. If we break the rules or fail to achieve the set goal, we are penalized in some way.
Achievement
Achievement motivation is also commonly referred to as the drive for competency. We are driven to achieve goals and tackle new challenges. We desire to improve skills and prove our competency both to others and to ourselves. Generally, this feeling of accomplishment and achievement is intrinsic in nature.
However, in certain circumstances be motivation for achievement may involve external recognition. We often have a desire or need to receive positive feedback from both our peers and our superiors. This may include anything from an award to a simple pat on the back for a job well done.
Growth
The need for self-improvement is truly an internal motivation. A burning desire to increase our knowledge of ourselves and of the outside world can be a very strong form of motivation. We seek to learn and grow as individuals.
Motivation for growth can also be seen in our yearning for change. Many of us are wired by our personality or upbringing to constantly seek a change in either our external or internal environment or knowledge. We view stagnation to be both negative and undesirable.
Power
The motivation of power can either take the form of a desire for autonomy or other desire to control others around us. We want to have choices and control over our own lives. We strive for the ability to direct the manner in which we live now and the way our lives will unfold in the future.
We also often aspire to control others around us. The desire for control is stronger in some people than others. In some cases, the craving for power induces people to harmful, immoral, or illegal behavior. In other situations, the longing for power is merely a desire to affect the behavior of others. We simply want people to do what we want, according to our timetable, and the way we want it done.
Social
Many people are motivated by social factors. This may be a desire to belong and to be accepted by a specific peer group or a desire to relate to the people in our sphere or in the larger world. We have an innate need to feel a connection with others. We also have the need for acceptance and affiliation.
A genuine and passionate desire to contribute and to make a difference in the lives of others can be another form of social motivation. If we have a longing to make a contribution to the world around us, it is generally a sign that we are motivated by social factors.
The real importance of understanding the different types of motivation is in our ability to determine which form of motivation is the most effective for inspiring the desired behavior in either others or ourselves. None of these styles of motivation is inherently good or bad, the positive or negative outcome is truly determined by the way they are used.
(Photo credit: Businessman Placing Motivation via Shutterstock)
Royale Scuderi is a writer, life and business coach who empowers individuals and businesses to achieve higher productivity, growth, business success and work - life balance. She offers wisdom, insight and ideas to help you get the most out of your life at Productive Life Concepts.
The Top 10 iPhone Apps for Losing Weight and Getting in Shape
May 10th
Losing weight and getting healthy is a huge commitment and if you don’t take the time and energy to track your progress and your goals, the chances of you falling off the “health bandwagon” are great.
Rather than fail at your weight loss goals, why not use a tool to track those goals that’s at your disposal 24/7? With the capabilities of the iPhone, use these top 10 iPhone apps to lose weight and get in shape.
1. Fitocracy (Free)
Some people don’t like the idea of “gamifying” applications, but having some fun goals to accomplish when it comes to losing weight and getting healthy can really push you to succeed.
Fitocracy is basically an RPG for getting in shape where you can unlock achievements and earn points by accomplishing workout plans and reaching your fitness goals. It’s built around being social interaction with groups as well as challenging others.
2. RunKeeper (Free)
If you have an iPhone and you want to lose weight by running, instead of buying an expensive GPS watch, just download RunKeeper instead. RunKeeper is a great tool for tracking your runs and activity by using the GPS capabilities on your iPhone. You can also keep track of your progress on runkeeper.com, share your results with friends, integrate your iPod music with the app, geo-tag photos while on your run, and more.
Something else that is nice is you can manually enter data, so if you are caught inside on a treadmill one day, you won’t lose your activity tracking for the day.
3. Lose It! (Free)
Lose It! is a great free iPhone app that allows you to track your daily calorie intake as well as the calories you burn during your workouts. You can track your weight and set up daily calorie in/out goals to challenge yourself.
With Lose It! you can also use the camera on your iPhone to scan barcodes on foods and they will automatically be entered into your diary. Lose It! has a great food database, so if you need a good app for tracking food as well as activity, Lost It! is it.
4. SparkPeople (Free)
SparkPeople is the best way to interface with the popular SparkPeople online fitness community. You can track your food intake as well as your workouts, your weight, and even your calorie differential. Another nice touch is the added exercise demos that show you how to do popular exercises that are in your scheduled SparkPeople workouts.
5. Gain Fitness (Free)
Gain Fitness wants to be known as your own “digital personal trainer”. The app can basically build you a custom workout on your available time and the equipment that you have at your disposal.
After your workout is built, Gain can keep track of your progress and create you a custom “Gain Plan” calendar to keep you working out regularly. It sounds like magic, because it sort of is.
6. Nike+ GPS ($1.99)
The Nike+ GPS apps uses the iPhone’s GPS to track your runs, sort of like RunKeeper, but is much more focused on running. You can see your runs on a map, share them socially when you are completed, keep track of your calories burned, and get voice feedback during your run.
One of my favorite features is that you can share on Path :)
7. Fitbit Activity and Calorie Tracker (Free)
The Fitbit app requires a Fitbit to really get the most out of, but if you are serious about losing weight, a Fitbit is a great $100 investment just for the shear fact of seeing how much you are active during a day.
With the Fitbit app you can track your food intake and see your current steps taken (as long as your Fitbit has recently been synced). You can also track your weight, water intake, and added activity (that wasn’t tracked by the Fitbit).
8. Nexercise (Free)
Now, if you want to truly “gamify” your fitness experience, then Nexercise is the app to do it (it even has Game Center integration!). Nexercise allows you to gain “XP” (‘experience’ for all you non-RPGing playing nerds), earn rewards, defeat challenges, and interact with a the Nexercise community.
Nexercise doesn’t track food intake, just activity, but it supports 90+ different activities. Also, you can use your Fitbit, Fuel Band, and Jawbone Up to integrate your activity.
9. Weightbot ($1.99)
Weightbot tracks your weight in a beautiful way. If you want the best app for tracking your weight on the iPhone, then this is the app. Seriously, look nowhere else.
Input your weight for the day, view your BMI, view your weight over a timeline, and also view your weight goals. Simple, easy, and a beautiful way to track your weight loss.
10. Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker (Free)
Calorie Counter is another reliable app for tracking your calorie intake and your weight. You can track what foods you have eaten and at what times. According to MyFitnessPal (the makers of the app) Calorie Counter and Diet Tracker has the largest food database of any iOS app out there. The app also has a barcode scanner for scanning in nutrition labels from popular foods.