Well, I just turned 25 last Saturday.

It’s hard to believe I’ve already been working for 10 years. During that decade of “gainful” employment, I’ve gone through a huge transformation in thought regarding careers, passion and purpose.

My first job was as a YMCA camp counselor. I was 15, and I was excited to be getting a paycheck with my name on it. I thought a little money in my pocket would be the ticket to freedom, but within 2 weeks, I’d come to the realization that while I was really good at “pitching” myself during the interview, the work sucked. It was boring and tedious, and it showed. It’s pretty hard to stay enthusiastic while you’re fishing HotWheels out of the toilet.

I thought it was just the job that sucked. Everyone told me that my first job would.

Over the next 6-7 years, I moved through a series of other jobs hoping that one would really appeal to me. I worked at museums, retail, grocery stores and restaurants. I even worked at UPS. Yes. With the brown short-shorts.

Each one had some element that I liked, but within a few weeks, the same familiar feeling always crept back up.

Emptiness.

I always felt like I was literally an indentured servant working for pennies, with no end in sight.

The worst part about this servitude is feeling like you’re the only one experiencing the pain. I can’t tell you how many people I’d see who had been at their jobs for 20+ years, in a state of zombie-like compliant quasi-misery.

I imagine that this must be what it feels like to have a terminal disease that takes 20 years to fulfill its promise.

I specifically remember during my training at UPS, one of the assistant directors pointed to his boss endearingly and said “Richard hasn’t missed a day or called in sick in 27 years.”

He flashed a grin at me, then looked expectantly, waiting for me to be impressed—as if this was a good thing.

I just remember thinking to myself “What the fuck is wrong with these people?”

I quit that job faster than Kim Kardashian quit on Kris Humphries.

At this point, you might be thinking “Sure Daniel, but those were all just JOBS. You’ve never had a real career. Once you get a career, things will be better.” At least that’s what my family told me. Just toe the line, Daniel. Just toe the line.

Eventually, I came to a much different conclusion. I came to the realization that I could job hop my whole life and it wouldn’t make a bit of difference. I could go to college and get a degree like I was supposed to and hop around with that on higher-paying jobs (which adults like to call “careers” to make ourselves feel better), but in the end, the problem wasn’t with the jobs or the employers; it was with me.

I had the problem. It wasn’t about getting a different job, or a better PAYING job. It was about having a job period.

I was experiencing a major case of cognitive dissonance between what I wanted my life to be and the options I saw available.  Part of this was coming because at a very deep level, I was afraid to admit what I really wanted. As funny as it is to admit this in writing, I felt wrong or dirty. I felt ashamed of these feelings and above all, I was afraid. I was afraid that I would be called lazy, stupid, impractical, a “leech”, etc by people I cared about. I didn’t want to be ridiculed.

I’m not afraid anymore.

You know what I want? I don’t want to work. Like, not ever.

I don’t want to be forced to show up anywhere and do something for someone else, simply because if I don’t show up, I might not be able to feed myself or have a home.

I don’t want to go to any more mindless meetings with 20 other people who also don’t give a shit, and are just there because if they don’t show up—you guessed it—they might not be able to feed themselves.

I don’t want to have to ask “permission” to take a day or three if I’m sick.

I don’t want to have to kiss ass for years to get a raise, just so I can work harder on more stuff I don’t care about.

I don’t want to spend my days punching Excel spreadsheets, hoping that I’m making someone happy.

You know what I hate? When people ask me “what do you do?”

What do I DO? I breathe, motherfucker. What do you do? What do I do? I don’t DO anything. I AM somebody. And since I am somebody, there’s no limit to what I can DO. I’ve never felt it was fair or accurate that our culture defines people by the narrow set of skills they use to generate income.

What does that have to do with anything?

What you do to make money is completely separate from how you spend your life or who you are as a person. Ironically, many people auction their entire lives away to get more money.

Am I the only one who sees the twisted contradiction here? If it were up to me, you know what I’d do? I’d spend my life traveling, learning languages, practicing martial arts, reading, programming, eating good food and (eventually) raising smart, open-eyed children.

I’d spend the time that I was supposed to be “working” to create something of value for others and use my creativity to leave a mark on the world. Isn’t this what we were made for?

All the other shit can suck it.

Look, it’s just you, me and this letter. We can cut the pretenses. Just be honest with me: if it were up to you, you wouldn’t go to work tomorrow, would you? Come on, I said be honest. Even if you “like” your job, wouldn’t you much rather be doing exactly what you want to do at the pace you want to do it?

Now, let me be clear: this whole idea of not working isn’t because you’re LAZY. Far from it, in fact. It’s because you see the Matrix for what it is, and realize the game being played around us. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t put effort into anything or dedicate our lives to a cause. I’m saying we should design our lives around a cause that we believe in, and stop lying to ourselves if what we’re doing isn’t something we’re passionate about.

Essentially we are trading something very real (life/time) for something very fake (money) and we’re always on the losing end since our time on this earth is finite but technically, the amount of money out there is infinite. We will always run out of time before the world runs out of money. As long as we carry on with the traditional mindset that time equals money, we will NEVER be free of the constraints placed upon us.

Now, 95% of people will say “But Daniel, you have to do SOMETHING for ‘work’. You’re going to be homeless. You need to get a job or something and then do stuff on your free time. That’s just life.”

False.

This is a perfect example of being caught in what I call the “culture box” and having been in there for so long that you can’t even see the walls anymore. American culture dictates that work should be placed squarely at the center of your life, with any  personal creative interests only being pursued in your spare time.

There’s no reason why we have to work 40 hours, 5 days a week. That’s a structure that people with money have put in place so that people without money keep their heads down and don’t have time to ask too many questions.

Even the idea of retirement is a joke. Working until you’re 60. Saving, saving, saving and contributing to your 401k in hopes that eventually you can stop working and live the last 20ish years of your life in budgeted obsolescence, hoping to at least maintain a semblance of your standard of living in a dwindling middle class as your savings depletes by the day.

Is this what we’ve become? Is this the dream we’ve waited our entire lives for?

If this is all, please tell me now so that I can find a rope and save us all some trouble. If I knew that this was going to be the “apex” of my life, I’d just off myself right now. It sounds bittersweet at best.

I propose another way.

The key for us is to figure out how we can manipulate our environments to produce more of this imaginary currency without sacrificing the time (which is the real currency). That’s the game. Most of the time, we go at it the wrong way, trading it 1:1, as if a certain amount of money could equal even a fraction of your time. I can’t stress this enough. Time is LITERALLY priceless. It can’t be valued. “I make $30/hour”. So you’re saying your life, these next 60 full minutes of respiration, are worth $30 of imaginary bits? I’d say there’s literally no comparison between the two. It’s apples to potatoes. Completely different. We have to set systems in place to make the currency come out without the time going to waste – because before you know it, the time will be gone…and the currency…that was never even there to begin with.

We’ve seen what happens working purely for work’s sake, spending all your time making more money or obsessing about promotions or possessions. You’re ashamed to actually admit the things that you actually want to do. You’re afraid of being labeled “different”. God forbid someone thinks that you don’t have “work ethic”. This is one of my favorite cultural insults. It’s as if there were some morality attached to laboring on things that you don’t enjoy. Since when did capacity to suffer become an ethical issue?

What about this…

What if you were to make your life and the pursuits that interested you—traveling, learning, physical activities, creation, art, time with loved ones, whatever—the center(s) of your life and fit work in like a planet in orbit, with it’s sole purpose to fund and support the pursuits above?

How would your life and self-image change?

What would you REALLY do with your life?

What if I told you that your presence wasn’t actually required to generate the resources that support you, and you were left to roam the earth freely?

Have you ever considered that in a completely digitized society this is a very real possibility?

Now, before you start pointing the finger and saying that it’s not possible to generate resources without being present, I want you to think about your boss’ boss (or perhaps THEIR boss). Somewhere up the chain, somebody is reaping the benefits of a system they put in place to generate resources without being present.

“But Daniel, I can’t manipulate my environment or set up any systems to make money. I HAVE to work.”

So let me get this straight: the Wright brothers—in their shed in rural South Carolina—can figure out how to bend a piece of metal and build a machine lighter than air that can fly across an ocean… but you can’t figure out how to make money flow to you? I’d suggest that you try harder.

The CEO of Walmart isn’t clocking in to make ends meet. That you can be sure of.

And the great thing about our generation is that you don’t need to be a Fortune 500 CEO to set this type of system up anymore. Many independent business owners have already realized this truth. Entrepreneurship is the key.

To be sure, this isn’t a popular way of thinking. And it’s even harder to imagine yourself living like this if you don’t have any friends or role models doing it. It is really hard to imagine that this is even possible. You go through a lot of the “Yeah, but that won’t work for ME” scenarios in your mind. Trust me, I feel you. I’ve been there. But as I’ve met more and more incredible people through my blog—people who are living that “fictional” life—I realize that it’s not only very possible, but that there’s a formula to creating these circumstances. It’s not luck, and it’s not voodoo or “positive affirmation”.

In the past 12 months I’ve gotten increasingly closer to this reality.

Are you one of the few who believes a better way is possible, not just for people in books or in the news, but for YOU?

Leave me a comment below and let me know.

-Daniel

Cut a Deal with the Boss: The Freedom to Travel Anywhere, Anytime Without Getting Fired

The post Notes to a Discontented Generation Y appeared first on Lifehack.

How long does an average project at work take you to complete? Does that include distractions? If you have a hard time getting things done in the amount of time they should take you, Zonebox can help. By estimating the time you should be taking on each of your daily tasks, the tool can help you stay on task. A small progress bar will then help you visualize how much time you have left.

Alternatively, Zonebox is also a great option for those who need to better understand how long their projects take so they can bill their clients more accurately and estimate the cost of projects more quickly.

Were your estimations off? No problem, Zonebox allows you to change your time estimates quickly and easily. You can even turn “study mode” on and the app will ensure the only thing on your screen is your Zonebox timer so you can make sure you focus on offline projects as well.

Download Zonebox ($5)

The post Zonebox Helps You Better Manage Your Time appeared first on Lifehack.

Depriving yourself of sleep is never ever a good idea, even though in our go-go-go society people take pride in going strong on 4 hours of sleep and tons of coffee. While everybody needs his personal amount of sleep to wake up rested and refreshed, the average human being still needs about 8 hours of sleep per night. You might trick your body into needing fewer hours of sleep by flooding it with caffeine, or by having high stress levels that keep you bouncing around, but you’re wreaking havoc on your long-term and short-term performance. In fact, sleep deprivation muddles your ability to judge a situation, and as a result you might judge your mental clarity as OK, while you’d be performing poorly in tests.

Allowing yourself adequate sleep should be a no-brainer; it should feel natural to all people and we should reclaim it as our right. Sleep is one of the most important non-negotiable elements in your self-care, but it takes courage to go against the flow of 24/7 alertness and allow your body its necessary rest so that it can rejuvenate.

Ideally, your sleep cycle should follow the natural patterns of sunset and sunrise as much as possible. You know that you have had enough sleep when you can consistently wake up at the same time in the morning without an alarm clock, feeling rested and refreshed. Besides the length of your sleep, the quality of your sleep is very important as well. Your sleep cycle consists of different levels, with deep sleep as the phase in which most restoration occurs. If your sleep is disrupted, you might find it very difficult to reach the state of deep sleep.

What can we do to improve our quality of sleep? Here are 8 techniques that you can implement:

1. Do not exercise within two to three hours prior to sleeping.

While exercise wears out your body, it also causes a boost of adrenaline through your body that makes your mind all wired, and causes your body temperature to rise. Have you taken a 9pm spinning class and then found yourself tossing around your bed without being able to sleep? It’s directly related to the unfortunate timing of your workout. Try a workout in the late afternoon instead.

2. Don’t overeat at dinner.

A full stomach makes sleeping difficult. Ideally, you should plan your dinner no later than three hours before your bedtime. Focus on protein and healthy fat for dinner, and reduce carbs. Keep your dinner light—you typically won’t need much fuel for the rest of your day anymore at dinnertime. Instead, start having larger meals for breakfast and lunch, when you actually need that fuel.

3. Have a fixed bedtime (ideally before 10pm).

While the opinions are divided on what the ideal bedtime is, and if there is a general ideal bedtime or if its personal, most health and fitness websites recommend to sleep between 9pm and 10pm, and it’s a common Dutch saying that “the hours before midnight count double”. Try to sleep around the time your body starts to secrete melatonin, which is typically around 9:30 pm. Turn off the TV and your laptop, and make your sleep a priority!

4. Sleep in a dark room.

Too much light in your room, either blue light from electronics or light peering through the curtains from outside, will interfere with your sleep and the secretion of melatonin. If you can’t eliminate certain electronics from your room, nor change to darker curtains or fully-shutting blinds, then invest in a good sleep mask. Don’t forget to take your sleep mask along for long flights as well.

5. Sleep in a cold room.

Your body cools down naturally during sleep, so a lower room temperature will support your sleep as much as possible. Switch off your heating at night, as it might leave you waking up at night feeling overheated. Leave your window ventilation open, even in winter, to allow fresh air and oxygen to enter the room. The ideal room temperature for sleeping is recommended to be 12 degrees Celsius (54 F), while other experts claim a temperature between 60 – 65F is ideal.

6. Have a bedtime ritual.

Ease into sleep by doing relaxing activities: journal, read a book, burn a candle, do some stretches, meditate, so that you can prepare yourself mentally for sleep. Create a sunset in your house by bringing down the intensity of the lights half an hour to an hour before your intended bedtime. Listen to a CD with soft music, get into your pajamas some time before you plan to sleep, and have some herbal tea or hot milk. Don’t expect that you can run all day and then press the off-switch on yourself and drift off to sleep right away!

7. Turn your bedroom into a sleep retreat.

If you have the space for doing so in your house, take all electronics (including that TV) out of your bedroom, and turn it into a sanctuary for your sleep. Decorate your bedroom with images that invoke sleep and sweet dreams. Use quality bedding and a mattress your truly enjoy, and add fresh, crisply washed sheets to your bed. If you live on a much more confined area and your bedroom equals home office, storage room and pet house, then try to keep at least your bed welcoming and free of clutter.

8. Finish your day’s business in your mind.

Plan your next day before you go to bed, so that you don’t find yourself going over everything you need to do the next day while trying to fall asleep. If necessary, write down your worries before bedtime as well. Ideally, write your goals for the next day at the end of your work day into your planner. Think positive thoughts before you sleep, and keep gratitude and success lists to reflect on your day from a positive standpoint.

RELATED: 10 Common Sleep Mistakes to Avoid

The post 8 Ways to Improve Your Sleep appeared first on Lifehack.

From earning a little extra money to making a full time living, or making a lot of money in a short span of time, binary options trading is an excellent way to achieve all of this. As it slowly gains popularity all throughout the world, thousands are making good money with little or no prior knowledge of the subject, however, binary options trading isn’t a cake walk: success can be achieved and risks can be minimized by following the tips mentioned below:

9 Tips for New Traders to Trade Binary Options

1. The first and foremost advice to be given to any beginner trader is to select a good binary options broker for your help in this field. A good broker, who knows his work, makes all the difference. There are various comparison websites available to make this choice easier for new traders, so one can quite easily consult these websites and choose a good binary options broker of their choice.
2. Secondly, it is advisable to increase your knowledge in the field of binary options trading and to know that there is always more to learn. There are training courses available for imparting binary options trading knowledge to new traders. Reading new books on the subject matter and discussing with other traders about the matter also adds to the benefit. This type of trading is a constantly-evolving experience, hence knowledge on the matter is ever expanding.
3. Thirdly, trading long term serves better returns, and binary options trading is a long term activity. Developing a long term plan for your binary trading and playing the right cards will ensure that you ultimately come out on top. Resist the temptation to get drawn into fads that do not fit into your overall strategies and strictly stick to your drawn plans.
4. Fourth is to reduce your risks by resisting the urge to over-invest. Beginners tend to get carried away to make that one big score but they must employ some self control as that may be a game changer. New traders lose more money by getting carried away and over investing. Binary options brokers advise to invest not just with courage but also with rational thinking.
5. Fifth, it is essential to keep a clear head while making any decisions about binary options trading. Beginners should avoid trading when they are emotionally disturbed, as emotions can create havoc with your trading. It is very easy to make the wrong decisions in an emotional state, so it is advisable to stay away from any form of trading until you’ve calmed down and cleared your mind.
6. Prepping yourself before trading in binary options is the sixth advice. Studying the market and viewing graphs over time can help new traders predict behavior of any binary options asset, thereby helping them to make well-informed decisions.
7. Another very important piece of advice would be to keep apprised of trading news. Keeping ears and eyes open to catch breaking news about the market condition can get the binary options trader a clear view of current situations, making it easier for him to trade during market crashes. By understanding the root cause for market changes, the new trader can help corner the market when it rallies or crashes.
8. Hedging trades against each other just ends up decreasing the statistical probability of earning more profits as opposed to increasing them.
9. Last, but not least, it is very important to have fun while trading binary options. Beginning binary options traders must ensure that it does not become a bore or a drag; if a trader has fun while trading, then he or she will be naturally inclined towards it and will pay more attention and make better decisions, thereby increasing profits.

Which job should you take? What car should you buy? Should you ask him to marry you?: How to Make the Right Choice

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Remember when resumes were one-page, black and white documents you handed to someone in person? Well, those days are long gone and if you want to stand out in today’s job market, you need to make sure your resume is both modern and attractive. This infographic can help you achieve both goals by concerning yourself with fonts, social networks and hyperlinks.

Of course, there are some things that will never change: you should always make sure your resume looks clean and error-free and also avoid cliche job seeking terms like “goal-oriented” and “multi-tasking.”

Also, don’t forget to create a well-written cover letter for each employer you contact that specifies why you would be a good match with the available position. Cover letters are particularly important for employees who are new to the job market and light on past experience, as they provide you an opportunity to make a case showing why you are qualified despite your formal experience.

Just recording a video resume won’t help you get hired; You need to record a hire-worthy video resume: 6 Tips For Creating A Hire-Worthy Video Resume

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We often come across articles or passages in books that remind us that peace and tranquility is to be found by being “present”—by being mindful and staying in the moment—but rarely are we given techniques about how exactly to do that. Let’s explore a few different methods of doing so.

Breathwork

One great way of staying in the present moment is to focus on your breath. When all of your attention is centered on your breathing, it’s less likely that your mind will wander off into worry-land.

There are a few different ways to focus on your breathing, but we’re going to delve into the ones that combine both physical and mental awareness, as it’s the best way for novices to get into the habit.

1. Diaphragmatic breathing. Known as dirga pranayama in yogic circles, this is a 3-part breathing technique that draws breath deep into your lungs and creates a tranquil state of being. The best way to do this is to place one hand on your belly, and one hand on your upper chest. When you inhale, do so by drawing air into your belly, allowing it to rise out against the hand you’ve placed upon it. As you continue to draw breath, pull it into your diaphragm and let it expand, and finally inhale deep into your chest, letting your upper ribs float into the hand you have placed on them. When you exhale, you’ll reverse the process: release breathe from your chest first, then the diaphragm, and then your belly.

This practice is a great one for focusing on your breath, since your attention is wholly involved in the movement of air through your body: there’s no room for errant thoughts to slide in.

2. Alternate nostril breathing. Known as nadi sodhana or anuloma viloma, this is another pranayama technique that works wonders for grounding and calming you, and for alleviating stress or anxiety. The best part about this one is that it’s a very quick mindfulness technique that you can do just about anywhere: a couple of minutes are all that’s needed to put it into practice, so if you disappear into the restroom at work or close your office door for a quick breather (literally), no-one’s going to miss you.

To do alternate breathing, block off your right nostril and take a slow, deep breath in through your left nostril to the count of 4. Plug your nose and hold your breath to the count of 16, and then exhale solely through your right nostril to the count of 8. Then reverse: inhale with your right nostril to the count of 4, hold breath for 16, exhale with the left nostril to the count of 8. This may sound ridiculously simple, but once again, all of your attention is focused on the one thing you’re currently doing: you’re being present, and mindful.

5 Senses Awareness

If you find that your mind is very restless and is causing you a fair bit of grief, take a moment to just be still, and to focus on what you can be aware of with each of your senses. Find a quiet place where you can sit in stillness for a few minutes, close your eyes, and take a couple of deep, calming breaths.

Touch: Focus on the things that you can feel physically at the moment. Keep your eyes closed. What is the texture of the floor like beneath your feet? Is there a breeze against your skin? If your hands are on your lap, what does the fabric of your clothing feel like? Are your hands on a cool, smooth tabletop, or on the leathery arms of an old chair? Immerse yourself in physical sensation and really be aware of what everything feels like.

Scent: Can you smell anything right now? With your eyes still closed, bring your awareness to any scents that may be lingering in the air. If you’re at the office, can you smell coffee from the lunchroom or a co-worker’s desk? Did someone microwave popcorn today? What about your own perfume or cologne? Can you smell the shampoo in your hair? If you’re at home or outside, try to pinpoint a few scents that you can recognise.

Hearing: Take a moment to really listen to the world around you. Most of us acclimatize to our living conditions so much that we tune out most of what we hear over the course of the day, so keep your eyes closed and listen—don’t just hear. Can you tune into the bubbles fizzing in your drink? The ticking of a clock in another room? Maybe you can hear your pet snoring, or the subtle shifting noises that your house makes over the course of the day. Do you hear traffic? Raindrops? Birds?

Taste: This one can be a bit more difficult if you haven’t eaten anything recently, so if you don’t have any lingering crumbs around your mouth, it can help to take a sip of your drink or a bite of a snack to aid this one along. When you take a bite or sip of something, give the food your entire attention: notice the textures, the different flavours. Pay attention to the movement your tongue and throat make as you eat, and see if you can focus on the item you’ve swallowed as it makes its way down to your stomach.

Sight: Yes, this one requires you to open your eyes. It’s best to do it last, so you’re already in a relaxed state after focusing on the previous senses. Let your eyes rest on an item near you, and really look at it, even if it’s something that’s in your peripheral vision every day. Is it a plant that you can look at and analyze in detail? Or a favourite teacup? Are there scratches on the cup that you’d never noticed before? What’s written on the bottom, if anything? Take the time to see something in its entirety instead of just observing it without thought.

A Grounding Item

Some people find that the best way for them to return to the present moment is by carrying a “grounding” item with them. This is something that can be kept in a pocket or worn as jewellery, so when anxieties rise or the outside world gets a bit too harried and distracting, touching and focusing on that item brings them back to the present moment.

This item can be anything at all, as long as it has meaning to you. It could be a stone or crystal that’s kept in your pocket, a mala bracelet, pendant, rosary/prayer beads, or even a ring that’s worn daily—if it’s something that can bring you peace and help to center/ground you when you’re flailing emotionally, it’s perfect.

To ground yourself with your item, just take a couple of minutes to sit with it and be wholly absorbed in the experience of touching it. If it’s a stone, feel the cool smoothness of it in your hands, and allow yourself to draw strength from it: that stone is likely a million years old. If it’s a crystal that hums with energy, allow it to hum in your hands and imagine yourself filled with light the same colour of the item you’re holding. If you’re using prayer beads, run them through your fingers and draw comfort from their solidity. Let the outside world slip away as you focus your entire being on what you’re holding in your hands, and how it makes you feel.

Staying in the present moment takes practice, but a few minutes each day are all that’s needed to establish your mindfulness practice. Before long, you’ll notice that you’re much more aware and appreciative of things around you, as well as experiences you have and tastes/textures you enjoy. Anxieties about the past or future slip away when you find peace in the now.

If you have been on the productivity kick for any period of time, you know just how hard it can be to stay focused: How To Get Things Done While Being Mindful

The post Mindful or Mind Full? Techniques for Staying in the Present Moment appeared first on Lifehack.

While the tendency to clutter your corporate office desk with stray papers and food wrappers is easy, imagine adding bills, letters, junk mail, kids toys and, you never know, even a cat to the mix. This is the reality of working from home.

Sadly not everyone has the luxury of knocking through walls to create a vast home office. You get just one room in the family home and, often, not a very big one at that. This makes keeping the space clutter free even more important. A messy environment creates a messy mind and can turn your professional sanctuary into a disordered space where you struggle to boost your output.

There are, however, ten very simple things you can do to create more space in your home office in no time at all.

1) Get a space-efficient desk

Image credit: Home Decorators Collection

One of the things I notice in more disordered home offices is the size and state of the desks inside them. Often intentionally too big for the room so an abundance of papers, documents and other items can be stored alongside a computer and keyboard, they can quickly sap up any spare space. Smaller desks don’t have to mean less space though, especially if you buy one that incorporates a roll-out shelf for your keyboard and mouse, storage drawers and room underneath for a bin and/or paper shredder. Not only will all of your essentials still be in one place, but stored safely away from the main hub of your desk and organised into their own unimposing spaces.

2) Switch to a laptop

Image credit: Refinery 29

Unless you’re a designer who relies on a larger computer screen to complete their work, it’s worth switching to a trim laptop to create more desk space. In addition to leaving more room for you to spread out when working, laptops use eight times less power than desktops and will save on your electricity bill in the long run.

3) Organise loose stationery

Image credit: Stylizimo

Anything that’s rolling around loosely on your desk is instantly going to make your home office look more cluttered, no matter how small it is. In addition, imagine how frustrating it will be when you’re trying to work with all of those pens and pencils getting in the way. Investing in a simple desk organiser can work wonders, and they’re available in a variety of styles to suit every kind of home office.

4) Tie up wiring

Image credit: Suck UK

Loose wires can quickly get out of control and, as well as looking unsightly, can become a safety hazard. Tying them up, getting a desk that incorporates cable management, or strategically hiding wires behind things like bookshelves all work wonders.

5) Be brutal with what you throw out

Image credit: She Knows Living

Before you sit down to some serious work, take some time to walk around your office and discard every unnecessary item you can find. Throw away or shred unimportant documents, give old office décor you’re no longer fond of to a charity shop and put any stray food items back in the kitchen. Anything you don’t need while you’re working should be removed, which also goes for distractions. Game consoles and televisions have no place in a home office.

6) Prevent décor build up

Image credit: Jennifer Daigle Blogspot

While throwing out old bits of paper and junk documents goes a long way in creating space, you shouldn’t neglect your office décor too. Designing a workspace at home is fun, and when something that’s completely you catches your eye in a shop, it can be difficult to pass it by. If you simply have to buy it, then get rid of something already in your office, and that you haven’t used or liked as much over the past six months to stop items building up.

7) Utilise wall space

Image credit: Boligcious

Not all clutter is rubbish, and sometimes you might not want to throw out all those inspiring magazine pages or images. So why not make a feature out of them? Creating a pin board or mural out of items like these is an increasingly popular trend, you can even pin important notes up there too to free up more desk space. In addition, go for tall bookcases, recessed shelving or floating shelves rather than wide storage to utilise an empty wall without taking up valuable floor space.

8) Decorate using neutral colours

Image credit: Ffffound

The shadows and atmosphere cast by dull and gloomy rooms doesn’t just impact your mood, but actually makes a home office appear smaller. Decorating in neutral colours is one of the best ways to open up a smaller space by reflecting natural light and making it appear brighter. This doesn’t mean you have to stick to white paint though – robin’s egg blue, light grey, beige, cream, pastel green and off-white all look great and are a subtle way to include more adventurous colours.

9) Don’t be tempted to over furnish

Image credit: Minimal Desks

While the home offices featured on interior design blogs incorporate bookshelves, chairs, coffee tables and sofas to stunning effect, the reality is that many of these spaces are considerably larger than your average home office. While a home office does have to be as attractive as it is functional to make working in there enjoyable, over furnishing for stylistic reasons will only make the room feel claustrophobic. Plus, simply filling it with really essential furniture will look much more aesthetically pleasing than if it was full to bursting.

10) Keep the room single purpose

Image credit: Melissa Mercier

Your home office is for working in, so try not to let other areas of your life intrude. Deal with junk mail and bills in a separate room, keep out kids toys and dirty crockery and leave any leisure or “down time” items like televisions and books elsewhere. Once other areas of your life start creeping into your home office, it’ll quickly become disordered.

As you can see, a small home office doesn’t have to look as compact as it actually is. Creating the illusion of more space with these simple tips is a sure-fire way of not just opening out the room, but making yourself more productive in the process. Remember, an orderly space makes for an orderly mind.

Do you have any of your own tricks for creating space in a cluttered home office?

What puts you in a productive mood?: 10 Hacks to Improve Your Home Office Productivity

The post 10 Quick Fixes for Creating Space in a Cluttered Home Office appeared first on Lifehack.

Kathleen Taylor is is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who has spent much of her career working with the elderly. While many people have asked her how she could work in a hospice filled with dying people, she explains that it’s because at the end of a person’s life they really start to reevaluate what’s important and start being themselves.

In this fantastic TED talk, Taylor explains why everyone should take a lesson from the elderly and start living for themselves and not for those around us. She urges us to not worry about completing a real bucket list, but to instead satisfy our life goals by being ourselves every day of our lives.

When it comes to the common worry of what we should all do with our lives, she explains, “what you are supposed to be doing with your life will flow out of who you truly are.”

Warning: The video does feature some language that might not be safe for work.

Is preparing a bucket list full of cliché items the right thing to do?: How to Create and Manage Your “Bucket List” Before You Kick

The post Why Wait Until You’re Elderly to Do Your Bucket List? appeared first on Lifehack.

Not being able to get something that bothers you out of your mind can be very annoying! It can be doubly annoying if that something is thoughts about someone you hate. Wouldn’t it be better if you could forget that person, and so free yourself from these thoughts?

It is often said that love and hate are the two sides of the same coin, and although love may seem too strong an emotion to consider having for a person you hate, there is often an emotional attachment that stops you from just letting go of all thoughts and feelings, as you would for someone you didn’t care about. So, how to forget someone that you have such strong emotions about?

Lose the Hate.

To forget someone you really hate requires taking the emotion out of the equation. Hate is a strong emotion and when focus is put on it the mind believes and accepts it as real, and the more real it feels the more time you will find yourself focusing on it. Emotions are created by the thoughts we have, but thoughts are not necessarily facts: we choose which thoughts we accept as being true. Be mindful of the negative thoughts you have for that person, and when you become aware of them entering your mind, allow them to pass, without engaging with them. With practice this will become a subconscious action, requiring no conscious awareness or cognitive effort.

Question Your Behavior.

Why do you hate the person? Have they really done something so abhorrent that it entitles you to bestow such a strong emotion on them? Or, is it possible that the hate is more a result of where you are in your world? Are you a happy person, easy going and laid back, or are you quick-tempered, easily annoyed, and always ready for a fight? If the latter sounds like you, then maybe the problem is more about your behavior, beliefs and interpretations to what happens around you, and less about the other person. Changing the way you react may help resolve your feelings towards the other person, making it easier to move on, and forget about them.

Find Closure.

Resolve to accept what has passed: you can’t change the past, and negative emotions—such as hate—damage the future. Decide to forgive them, and also forgive yourself for holding negative thoughts about another person. Place yourself in their shoes and consider how things could look from their perspective. In their shoes, would you agree that they should have such a strong emotion attributed to them? Also, put yourself in the position of an impartial observer; someone who doesn’t know either of you. How would they interpret your actions? It’s a lot harder to hold such extreme views when you look at something from the perspectives of others. Is it possible to talk to the person? Often differences, however big they seem, can be resolved by talking with the other person. Misunderstandings can be discovered, compassion can be given, and the person’s good qualities can become apparent, if given a chance. You may not become friends, trust or respect the person, but it’s possible to achieve a healthy downgrade from hating them.

Reminders of the Person.

Do you have any reminders of this person? Photos, clothes, etc that can act as a stimulus to thoughts being created about the person. Maybe its worth removing them from sight, either putting into storage or disposing of them entirely. If there are places that the person frequents, consider going or being somewhere else if that doesn’t have a detrimental effect on you. This might not be possible if you work with them, for example, but often the anger and hate we feel for a person can draw us to places we think they might be. Sometimes, something as simple as a song being played on the radio, or a smell of a particular food can trigger the thoughts. Although its not possible, or healthy, to try to avoid everything that acts as a reminder, removing obvious reminders will reduce the amount of times these trigger your thoughts of the person. Avoid creating more reminders by writing about them online on social networks or keeping a journal. Sometimes, writing about a problem you have can help release the attachment you have with them, helping put your thoughts into context in order to get closure. Just be sure to not keep reliving these thoughts by keeping what you have written. Disposing of the pages can be a physical way of getting rid of those thoughts, and remember that once you’ve posted something online there’s more chance of what you’ve written being viewed and discussed by yourself and others.

Refocus Your Energy.

Aim to get on with and progress in your life. Use all the energy wasted on hate to pursue new interests, career progression at work, and people you care for and enjoy spending time with. Remind yourself that you are wasting time and energy hating that person—time and energy that could be put to positive use, focused on people you think are better deserving of it.

“That’s the best revenge of all: happiness.” ~ Chuck Palahniuk

Emotions are like the weather: To Be Motivated and Successful, First Forget How You Feel

The post How to Forget Someone You Really Hate appeared first on Lifehack.

A life lived of choice is a life of conscious action. A life lived of chance is a life of unconscious creation.

Recently, we asked the readers what their tips for staying creative were. Sometimes creativity flows from the heavens, but other times, as we all know, it’s like drawing water from a stone. The following are the best tips you gave us.

30 Tips to Rejuvenate Your Creativity

The post Daily Quote: A life lived of choice is a life of conscious action appeared first on Lifehack.

I have the attention span of an ADHD goldfish off of its Ritalin, and I am not ashamed to admit it. Well, OK, I am a little ashamed, but shame doesn’t make it any less true. This is why I have to go the extra mile when I work to make sure all possible distractions are at least reduced, something that is hard to do in a job requiring the procrastination-encouraging Interne, not to mention my mobile phone and other potential threats to my focus.

We have to overcome these distractions for the sake of our collective productivity, not to mention our general sanity and ability to relax, both of which can be badly impacted by technology. Just think of the stress that could be avoided by getting away from the little phone chirps when you get a phone message or the alert telling you of a new email.

Last year, Dr Larry Rosen wrote an article for Psychology Today titled ‘Rewired: The Psychology of Technology.’ He and his team found that the average middle school student was focused and on task for only three minutes at a time when studying. That is a startling figure, showing how intensely distracted they were by their smartphones, computers, and other technology.

If we were to look at ourselves and our peers, it is almost certain that adults would suffer in much the same way. While you would hope that the older generations would have greater discipline to fight off procrastination, we all know that just isn’t the case. Most of us suffer from the same problem, and alerts make it even worst.

The best thing to do is shut off all notifications that automatically alert you to distractions. Which notifications cause the most issues and should be shut off?

Disable Push Notifications from Social Media Apps (iPhone)

Here we have perhaps the greatest culprit of distraction today. People check their phones everywhere, whether they are at home or in public. You see people texting in their cars, a dangerous practice that has led to the biggest PSA campaign involving automobiles since drunk driving ads. We simply have our phones with us everywhere, all the time, and use them way too much.

Turning off your mobile alerts can save you a whole lot of distraction. Now comes the important part: put the phone away from you. Just because your alerts are off doesn’t mean you won’t reach for it. In fact, you may reach for it more to check and see if any alerts have come in that you missed. The temptation can actually become worse.

I always put my phone in another room with the ringer turned on high when I am working. This allows me to hear if an emergency call comes in, but keeps me from constantly looking at it. Plus, out of sight is out of mind, so I am more focused on the task ahead of me. Even putting it across the room and out of easy reach is effective.

To disable push notifications from social media apps, go Settings -> Notifications and scroll around the multiple options.

App-specific tips:

• Official Facebook app: On your iPhone go to Settings -> Facebook -> Disable “Vibrate” and “Play Sound” options
• Official Twitter app: No push settings to change.

Email Notifications

I have a notification addon set on Firefox that tells me every time I have an email from any of my accounts. It then lets me click on the button to be taken to that particular account, keeping me signed in, even when I have multiple email addresses from the same mail client. It is my favorite extension I have, even more than the one that blocks all the autoplay ads on websites.

Most people reading this probably have some version of the program, even if it is just Outlook express configured to pull all emails to the same place. They are great, efficient, and easy to use. They are also horribly distracting, as they continually let you know when anything from an important message, to a customer, to a spam message has come in.

Here are some tips for making email notifications from social media less distracting:

• Create email filters to filter out any automatic notifications (here are the tips; also check types of emails you should be automatically filtering).
• Here’s a good guide on decluttering Facebook, as well as some photo tagging declutter tips.

Get A Site Blocker

All of this is fine and good, but it still all comes down to self control. If you are really struggling to focus, why not get yourself a site blocker? Programs like StayFocused and LeechBlock are extensions that allow you to limit the amount of time you can spend on a site, or block it completely.

You simply specify what times/days you want it blocked and how much time you are allowed to spend on each site in a day. Or try the nuclear option that locks out your blocked sites, all but your allowed sites, or even all websites for a certain number of hours you have chosen.

Declutter

In the end, you have to make the decision to improve your focus. The very idea of how much it will improve your productivity should be enough to convince you. But if you need another reason, how about the refusal to be a slave to technology? Sure, tech advancement is an incredible boom for the human race, but we need to learn how to regulate its use in our own lives.

Get started doing so today, with the baby-step of not allowing it to constantly distract you.

It’s time to do a little soul-searching, organizing, and planning to make distractions go away: How to Minimize Distraction to Get Things Done

The post Get Distracted No More: Disable Automatic Alerts from Social Media appeared first on Lifehack.

Everyone knows that there are benefits to working from home. I absolutely love lists and as I began thinking about it, I noticed that I’ve never actually spelled out the major benefits to working from home and how you can make remote working a bit more efficient. You might be able to piece together some other material and gain a general consensus about why we love this lifestyle but it’s still not the same as actually creating a black and white list of great reasons to join the community of remote workers around the world. Here’s a quick list of some awesome benefits to becoming a remote worker.

1. Setting Your Own Schedule

It’s always been a dream of mine to work for myself and set my own schedule, and working from home gives me the perfect opportunity to do just that. The only commute I worry about is the small walk from my bed to the computer desk and I consider that to be awesome. It’s really not possible in other situations. Staying up late and sleeping in are two activities that I thoroughly enjoy and when remote working, it really doesn’t matter because I set my own hours. Nobody is there to monitor my daily activity so that freedom is in totally in my hands. It can be powerful if not abused.

2. Pajamas Until Noon

I tend to wake up and shower straight away, so I’m not extremely keen on this idea but I know it’s a particularly big deal among some remote workers. Just the idea of not showering until noon again implies a level of freedom that doesn’t exist when you’re chained to a desk.

3. More Time With Your Family/Friends

I’m a people person so It’s really important to develop close social relationships by investing time but unfortunately, these activities don’t always happen at the most ideal moments. Like any fine wine, a great relationship takes time so having the freedom to shift my schedule and allocate that required time when the occasion arises is a great benefit to becoming a remote worker.

4. Travel

I’ve written quite a bit on this point so I’ll keep this somewhat brief: I love traveling when I get the chance but when I work in a classic office setting, this becomes an itch I don’t often scratch. When I shift focus to working remotely, my office becomes a mobile workspace and I can then work anywhere on Earth with a solid internet connection.

5. The Comforts of Being at Home

There are always benefits to being out and about but what about the creature comforts ofworking from your own home? Your home is powerful in the fact that it’s a familiar place where you can shut the door and really focus. Also, working from home gives you the opportunity to step away and clear your mind with other activities when necessary. Just don’t get distracted!

6. Less Stress

From my personal experience, I’ve come to the conclusion that remote working gives me a sense of stability that typically doesn’t exist in a classic office setting. There’s something to be said for controlling your environment and for me, that idea brings about a much less stressful dynamic in my daily life. There’s also a social aspect that somewhat emulates a “rat race” mentality in a physical office that doesn’t exist in a remote setting.

7. Become More Involved in the Community

Similar to point #3, when working remotely I have a much larger capacity to shift my schedule and become involved in my local community. Whether it’s volunteer work or playing sports on the community league, this ability to be flexible is an extremely important part of a healthy social dynamic.

8. Teach Others

No matter if you’re a freelancer or part of a larger remote team, you’re doing something amazing and paving the way for others to join you. You have the unique ability to teach people how they can make money, set their own schedule and enjoy all the other benefits that come along with living and working a remote lifestyle.

9. More Productive

As an avid researcher of the remote lifestyle, I’ve come across study after study and blog post after blog post about why remote workers tend to be more productive than office workers. It’s difficult to pinpoint but based on my own lifestyle, I have a strong feeling it comes down to responsibility. When working in a large office, it’s really difficult to own your experience and consider the work you’re doing as important and valuable, thus you’ll be less productive. It’s very easy to get caught up in relating the office space to a centerpoint of the organization but in reality, the organization’s centerpoint is the people. It’s much easier to get a strong center of gravity on the people in a remote setting where the only thing you have is each other and no office spaces to distract you from the overall goal.

How Can I Become More Productive As a Remote Worker?

This entire article would be pointless if I didn’t leave you with some solid advice on how to make your remote working experience more productive and beneficial. Here’s a short-but-sweet list of simple ways to work hard, achieve balance and increase your productivity as a remote worker.

1. Follow the “Do­ers”

I’ve always found success in becoming a frequent customer at coffee shops and co­-working spaces where people are actively building cool things. The best way to get inspired is byspending time with inspiring people so make it a point to engage with someone that’s doing
something cool.

2. Go Where Ambient Noise is Happening

Ambient noise (room chatter) is a proven method of increasing productivity and giving you an amazing electric feeling. There’s nothing that will whip you into shape like walking into a room where people are actively discussing future plans and world domination.

3. Turn Out the Lights

I get distracted very easily. Turning out the lights can be a good way of bringing focus to your computer screen while excluding everything else that might be distracting from your view. I’ve found this method really helps me sift through the potential distraction of working from home. It seems strange but definitely works for me!

4. Separate Yourself from Your Living Environment

Working from home can create a sense of always being attached to your work, even while you’re not working. I find it helpful to create distinct lines between your work and home life. This can be achieved by setting a schedule and sticking to it. When you’re stressed at work, the last thing you want to do is bring that stress into your home life so creating these lines and making a schedule are very important steps in achieving this separation.

Conclusion:

No matter who you are or where you work, it’s important to take a step back and make a quick inventory of the reasons why you do what you do. If you’re not quite at the place where you’re stepping away from the physical office, hopefully this post is helpful in giving you an idea of some great benefits that come along with this lifestyle while staying productive in the process.
Keep remoting.

What helps keep you productive throughout the day: How to Work from Home and Stay Ultra-Productive

The post 9 Reasons Why Remote Working is Awesome and How to Make the Most of It appeared first on Lifehack.

Be aware that healthy relationships are built on trust, and that trust takes time to develop. It may be unwise to share too much of yourself and about yourself too quickly.

Want to build positive relationships? Then make sure not to commit the following 10 things that disrupt relationships:

10 Things To Stop Doing in Your Relationships

The post 30sec Tip: Be Aware that Healthy Relationships are Built on Trust appeared first on Lifehack.

Advanced technology and online social networking is changing nearly everything about the way people interact – including how criminals pull off illegal stunts, and how law enforcement responds to these acts. In light of the Boston bombings, which blew up in a flurry of public involvement and social media leads, it’s worth taking a look at how crowdsourcing has spurred crimesourcing, and subsequently, what is now being called investigation-sourcing, or the collective detective.

The Rise Of Crowdsourcing

The advent of crowdsourcing – obtaining services, ideas or products from a large, undefined group, primarily online, rather than a singular traditional outlet – pulls together the resources of the many to benefit a clearly outlined project or goal. First coined in a 2006 edition of Wired magazine, the term crowdsourcing has caught on like wildfire and is now used to describe familiar phenomena like Indiegogo and Kickstarter campaigns (crowdfunding), Threadless.com T-shirt competitions (crowdvoting), reality TV shows like American Idol and even information shared in online message boards and forums.

Some of the most notable examples of crowdsourcing in action:

• In 2006, Netflix started a campaign that invited the public to develop a more accurate way of recommending movies based on similar tastes. Three years later, a company called BellKor’s Pragmatic Chaos cashed in Netflix’s $1 million promise for the algorithm that is well known by Netflix users today.
  
• One Canadian gold mining company called Goldcorp was facing bankruptcy in 2007 when it put out a call to the public to help locate the gold within its mines. After posting its full datasets online, a member of the public employed never-before-used gold mining techniques to find the gold, save the company and take home the $500,000 reward.

The Cons Of Crimesourcing

Yet, for all the progress made by crowdsourcing, a dark side has also arisen. The streamlined collaboration that seamlessly emerges due to the nature of crowdsourcing has unfortunately also led to what is being called “crimesourcing.” As easily as companies, governments or entrepreneurs can tap into the genius of the crowd, so, too, can criminals. Crimesourcing denotes the process by which criminals, including hackers, mobsters and bank robbers, convince or, more often, con a group of citizens into playing a role in their devious scheme.

Marc Goodman, the LAPD cop who started the county’s first Interpol system in the 1990s and founder of the Future Crimes Institute, says cyber criminals are a lot like start up companies – they want money, they want a challenge, and they want to leverage their skills. Unfortunately, cyber hacks are all too common and criminals can “crimesource” by using the anonymity of the Internet to get unwitting bystanders to be accomplices in their plot. Sometimes, the crime is as typical as hacking into an account, and sometimes crimesourcing can be more creative.

Some of the most ingenious ways criminals are crimesourcing:

• Like the recently popular “flash mobs,” people are organizing online anonymously to decide a time and place to descend upon a designated store to collectively rob the establishment. Sometimes these “flash robs” will happen in broad daylight, end up injuring bystanders and allow for most of the perpetrators to escape.
  
• In one particularly clever escapade, one bank robber in Seattle posed as an employer on Craigslist and convinced a group of people to dress in their construction gear to apply for a high-paying job, all at the same time at the exact location of the bank he was robbing. Of course, he was dressed in the same gear and got away, as a dozen decoys were already in place when the cops rolled in.
  
• Dealing in the online realm, one ploy to break into Yahoo email invited users to break CAPTCHA codes in order to receive free pornography; the hacker devised it so that every CAPTCHA code that someone cracked spilled the secrets to another’s sensitive information.

Even amidst the chaos of the Boston manhunt, hackers were taking advantage of the sensationalism in the media, sending out emails with subject lines like “Explosion at Boston Marathon” and “Boston explosion caught on video” that unleashed a virus onto the victim’s computer. The Associated Press’s Twitter account was also hacked in the middle of the week, falsely tweeting that the White House had been attacked, causing the stock market to drop in response.

In a time when technology can allow for great innovation but also great crime, law enforcement is employing some 21^st century strategies for catching these smart cyber criminals.

Investigation-sourcing & The Boston Marathon

Is crimesourcing giving way to investigation-sourcing? While there surely is a catchier name for it out there, investigation-sourcing is precisely what the FBI employed to catch the Boston bombers. Using a mixture of social media leads, video camera footage and citizen responses, law enforcement optimized crowdsourcing to jump straight onto the trail of the two bombers.

The Boston bombing is the largest crowdsourcing police operation to date, with floods of information swarming the FBI offices. Though the vast waves of information that were collected during the Boston manhunt culminated in a successful capture, a lot of misinformation was spread, too. Outlets like Reddit, Twitter, The New York Post and even CNN reported falsely accused suspects, while the Boston police Twitter was oversaturated with Tweets and AT&T had to issue a warning that their cell towers were getting overloaded.

Former FBI Chief and manager of Kroll’s cyber-investigations practice, Timothy Ryan, said in an interview that it’s better to over-collect information than to under-collect. Now, with citizen journalism ramping up, as evidenced by the outpour of crowdsourced police data, it’s time to refine the methods even further.

Growing Trends & New Strategies

Smart technology is making detective work smarter, faster and more reliable. It was pretty incredible that the Boston bombers were identified in such a short period of time and caught within one week, but what if, amidst all the data, computers were able to sift through the evidence rather than use the immense manpower it must have required? A Silicon Valley company is working on developing technology that does just that. Crowd Optic is an app that uses visual mining technology to compile images and determine the most popular photos at an event – a helpful analytical tool in emergencies such as the Boston bombing.

Another innovative tool is from Topsy Labs: they’ve got a database of every Tweet ever created since June 2010, as well as the ability to search old Tweets for catchphrases like “bomb,” for example, and then use geo-referencing to pinpoint the locations of these conversations. This is one way that investigators are able to leverage technology to “pull signal from the noise” and hone in on perpetrators of crime.

Call it the “collective detective” or call it “investigation-sourcing,” either way, technology is ramping up to help the FBI catch on to criminals quicker and quicker. Some theories are going around that eventually, predictive analytics will allow law enforcement to predict crimes before they happen, not using psychics like in Minority Report, but just really, really smart technology. Along with this theory and current technology on the market, of course, there are concerns about authorities becoming too much like “Big Brother.”

Hopefully, smart technology will be used for catching criminals and not abusing power. So far, it doesn’t seem like many people are upset that the Boston bombers could be captured so quickly, nor was there a lack of people contributing evidence to the case. Crowdsourcing technology is just at the beginning of its stint in law enforcement; the Boston manhunt really opened the door to using “collective detective” tools for help in solving other crimes – like finding missing children, for example.

Online Tools & Personal Protection

As for protecting yourself online from getting duped by these super smart and sneaky cyber criminals, there are a few tangible actions you can take.

1. Protect your identity. Never give out personal or sensitive information online, even to someone claiming to be an employer or an official. Oftentimes, cyber criminals will pose as others to get this information out of you.
   
2. Don’t download anything from an insecure connection or an untrusted network. Even if the website tells you that you need to download a bot for a program to work, make sure the domain is familiar and trusted.
   
3. If you’re really interested in working with someone online, ask for their full identification and do a criminal background check through an online service like Instant Checkmate to verify their legitimacy. Cyber criminals won’t always give you correct information, but if they hesitate to provide these details in the first place, that’s a clear red flag.

From crowdsourcing to crimesourcing to the collective detective, interactive technology is laying the groundwork for some innovative, as well as challenging, opportunities to connect online. The bottom line is that as technology progresses, all sorts of people will find all sorts of uses for it, so it’s important to stay ahead of the curve. Every action will have a reaction, and it’s an exciting time to be navigating the novelty of crowdsourcing technology.

RELATED: 99 Email Security and Productivity Tips

The post Investigation-Sourcing & Technology: Crime Fighting In the 21st Century appeared first on Lifehack.

From organization ideas to simple storage tricks, this Buzzfeed article featuring 30 awesome DIY kitchen hacks is incredibly useful, even if it only serves for inspiration for your own new ideas.

Perhaps one of the most clever of the DIY kitchen hacks when it comes to organization ideas is the use of vertically installed tension rods so you can store your cutting boards, platters and other large, flat items sideways in your cupboard -making them easily accessible and still out of the way. Alternatively, try using a desk organizer on your counter for the same purpose.

Another great DIY kitchen hack? Use a liquor spout and an old soda bottle to store dish soap so you can buy it in bulk or make your own and still have an easy-to-use dispenser that even looks better than the generic dish soap bottles.

Original source – Buzzfeed

Simply take the hooks: Get Easy Kitchen Access to Foil and Saran Wrap

The post 30 Cool DIY Kitchen Hacks appeared first on Lifehack.

More and more people these days are looking to electric vehicles (EVs) as a greener alternative to gas-guzzling cars. But is the electric car really as green as it’s seen to be? And with EV prices being so high despite government investment and subsidies, what impact will they really have? This infographic takes a look at the costs and environmental impacts of EVs compared with conventional gas-powered cars.

For the purposes of this infographic there are two main types of EVs:
BEV = Battery Electric Vehicle (no gasoline engine)
PHEV = Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (has a gasoline engine and an electric engine)

Original Source: VroomVroomVroom Car Rental Canada

The post The Impact of the Electric Car appeared first on Lifehack.

A lot of people talk about getting rich, and yet there are only a small percentage of people who actually achieve it. So what’s stopping people from becoming rich?

Well it isn’t knowledge. Thanks to the internet and libraries, there is a ton of knowledge available on how to build your wealth. Whether you’re interested in business, real estate, or the stock market, there is a ton of advice from experienced experts to guide you along the way.

The Biggest Reason Most People Never Become Rich

No matter which route you take to build your wealth, there is one important factor that will determine your success or failure…

Your financial control

This is basically your ability to spend less than you earn, while using the difference to grow your wealth.

How Most People “Control” Their Finances

I have a friend who’s a financial planner, and she finds that most people are suffering from money troubles. No matter if her client’s income is $30,000 or $500,000 a year, they’ve grown their lifestyle to match their income (or exceed it).

She tells the story of a woman that was earning $10,000 a month and estimated her spending at “about $3,000 per month.” The woman suddenly got quite embarrassed when my friend inquired about the bank account that held her extra $7,000 a month she was saving. Of course there was no bank account, and she was really spending $10,000 a month.

And that’s the reality for most of us… we spend everything we earn. The question is whether we’re spending it on things that will really get us what we want in life.

How To Build Your Wealth

There is an age old – yet often ignored – principle in personal finance called Pay Yourself First. The idea is to put at least 10% of your income away as soon as you receive it. This money goes into your financial freedom account, and you simply live off the difference as you build your wealth.

Now before you scream at the computer, “I can’t afford to put aside 10% of my income,” hear me out. There was a time when you were in college or had a low paying job and you managed to live on that income. Then, as your income has increased over the years, so has your spending.

Forming Your Financial Freedom Habit

Paying Yourself First is simply a new habit and once you get started it becomes quite natural. You’ll actually be amazed that you don’t miss the 10% at all after a while. You’ll also be amazed by how quickly your financial freedom account grows.

The amount isn’t as important as the habit you are forming. If you think 10% is a stretch then start with 1% and increase it from there. I have heard of people starting with just a few dollars a week, yet the habit they built allowed them to grow their financial freedom account significantly.

How To Sabotage Your Progress And Never Be Wealthy

The worst thing you can do is say you’ll start building this habit when you make some extra money. If you can’t look after the amount of money you have now, then you won’t be able to look after a bigger amount later. It all starts with the habit and the money will follow.

As the amount grows, you need to be disciplined and keep it locked away in your financial freedom account. No dipping into it for emergency bills or must-have purchases. Especially don’t touch it if you believe you really need a vacation (start another account for that).

You’re Making A Decision Either Way Right Now

You can decide to be wealthy or you can decide to be like most people that struggle financially. Whatever you decide is fine, and it’s completely up to you.

However, if you want to be wealthy, then you need to start your financial freedom account right now. It’s the easiest and simplest way to guarantee you’ll be wealthy in your lifetime.

If you need to make money quickly, there are several ways that you can do so without becoming overwhelmed or stressed: How to Make Money Right Now

The post What’s The #1 Thing Stopping You From Becoming Rich Right Now? appeared first on Lifehack.

No one wants to have a bad day, but no matter how happy you are overall, you’ll still have crummy days here and there. When you do have a bad day though, it’s important to remember that it won’t last forever and you will feel better eventually.

In most cases though, that alone won’t make you feel better or even make it easier to get through to the next day. Fortunately, Bite Sized Wellness has some useful tips that can help anyone having a bad day.

Aside from remembering that the feeling will pass, the site also suggests checking your calendar and finding something you’re looking forward to as well as writing a list of things you are grateful for. Another useful suggestion? Take a break from whatever you’re doing. Sometimes a nature walk, a phone conversation with a friend or a video game session (my favorite solution) can help you forget about your troubles long enough to start feeling better.

Original Source – Bitesizewellness

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If you’re like me, you have gone through more than one instance in which you feel under pressure at work. To be honest, this is more like a daily experience for most of us, rather than just an exception.

In any case, life is short, and complaining about something you can’t change doesn’t help. Don’t try to avoid dealing with the high-pressure situations, as sooner or later you do need to face them.

It is far more useful to learn a few tips that allow you to keep your balance, despite such circumstances.

Tips to Keep Your Balance in High-Pressure Work Environments

1. Reduce your emotional dependence on the external environment. What does this mean? Well, we continuously have a stream of thoughts and emotions that determine how we feel at a certain point in time. Most people are in a reactive mode. If the environment is positive and relaxed, they feel the same. If it’s tensed, then they get stressed. You need to break this pattern! If you stay at the mercy of circumstances, you’ll have a hard time keeping your balance. First of all, realize that you do have a choice. You can choose the way in which you respond to external stimulus. Don’t react immediately. If you create a storm inside yourself, it doesn’t help in better managing the external one. Put things into perspective and keep calm.
2. Develop inner peace rituals. The advice given in the first point is easier said than done. When you find yourself in a stressful environment, it’s difficult to keep calm and not let the toxic energy get to you. In order to make this possible, develop your inner peace rituals. When you feel great and at peace, try to associate that feeling with a song or a gesture. Repeat this process a few times and you will create what is called an anchor. Then, each time you listen to that song or make that gesture, you will find it easier to enter into the state of mind you associate it with. Research NLP if you are interested in more details about this technique.
3. Establish positive relationships. We are social creatures, and reaching out to others during stressful times can be highly beneficial. Whenever possible, try to develop positive relationships with people around you. Spend more time with your friends and with the people that make you feel good. This will ease the tension and will fill you up with positive energy.
4. Don’t get caught into a negative energy spiral. Whenever you feel full of toxic energy, try to do something to shift your mood. Take a break, listen to a song, go for a breath of fresh air, take a look at the picture of someone you love, or close your eyes and visualize a place that makes you feel at peace. Pay attention to what is effective in shifting the way you feel, and then apply that whenever it is needed.
5. Take short breaks to do something you love. How do you feel when you have something pleasant to look forward to? Every once in a while, take short breaks to do something you like a lot. It may be listening to one of your favorite songs or doing 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation. Do whatever works for you, and you will feel refreshed.

The most important thing is to realize that the stressful environment should not dictate the way you feel inside. You do have means to influence the way you feel, in order to keep your balance. Make the most of the tips above at work and put a serene smile on your face!

Today’s employers seem to want more of our time than ever: 10 Keys to Work/Life Balance

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Have you ever wanted to compose and record your own song? Maybe you need to record a phone call to someone. Perhaps you’re looking for the perfect soundtrack for a video or slideshow you created. Here’s how to record audio, depending on the source you’re recording and the type of audio you need.

Voice Recordings

Plenty of options exist for a simple voice recording. Telephone microphones are designed to pick up the normal range of the human voice. This gives you several options for creating a voice memo on your phone. The first way is a simple answer that works no matter what type of phone you have: Leave yourself a voicemail.

If you have a smartphone, your options are expanded quite a bit. Evernote is one of my favorite program for all types of notes, including audio notes. If you’re unfamiliar with Evernote, this video will give you the basics to get started, and this video will show you how to record an audio note. Using Evernote, you can easily access your voice audio recordings from both your smartphone and PC/Mac.

Recording Phone Calls

Recording a phone call is a little different. Every state has different laws on whether or not you need to inform the other party prior to recording a phone call and the purpose of such recording. This is why you hear a recorded warning that “this call may be recorded for quality purposes” when calling customer service. For specific information on such laws where you live, check out the Digital Media Legal Project’s phone and conversation recording page here

Once you understand the legal ramifications of your actions, you need to decide among your options. If you have a smartphone, download TapeACall Pro from iTunes for $9.99 or Auto Call Recorder from Google’s Play Store for $6.99.  These apps allow you to record phone calls from your smartphone with no extra equipment needed.

If you’re still using an old cell phone or want to record a phone call from a landline phone, the Olympus VN-702PC Voice Recorder is a great option. Simply hook it up to your phone’s headphone jack and hit record. If your phone doesn’t have a headphone jack (common in old corded phones), you’ll need an additional adapter to utilize the phone’s handset jack for call recording.

Recording Live Musical Instruments

While voice recording is easy, things get a little more complicated when recording music. This is because each instrument has unique attributes. It used to be that the only way to obtain a professional recording of a musical instrument was to pay professional fees for a professional studio with tens of thousands of dollars of equipment. Those days are long gone, but the art and science of audio recording isn’t.

The first thing you need is recording software. Macs come equipped with a home audio recording and production program called GarageBand. Find more about how to use it here. PC users aren’t as lucky with preinstalled software, but that’s okay. Regardless of what type of computer you use, Pro Tools, the software used by professional recording studios, comes free with the audio recording equipment you’ll need.

The 3 pieces of hardware needed for a professional audio recording are a microphone, mic cable, and computer interface to connect it to your computer. Professional studios use the Shure SM-57 as an all-purpose instrument microphone. It’s capable of making professional, CD-quality audio recordings from just about any instrument. You should be able to find one for $100 or less at your local music store. Otherwise, click this link to purchase one from Amazon.

You’ll also need an audio interface device. The M-Audio MobilePre is a great all-in-one solution that comes with a basic copy of Pro Tools and a USB cable to hook it up to your computer. You can purchase one from Amazon here. Once you have a mic and interface, all you need is a microphone cable to connect everything and you’re ready to start producing professional, CD-quality music recordings.

File Conversion Software

No matter how you record your audio, chances are you’ll eventually need to convert the audio file to another format. While most recording software has options to do this, occasionally you need to play or create a file format that isn’t supported.

Audacity is the most expansive and intuitive program for this process. Download the free program from their website, and drag and drop the file you wish to convert. You can perform minor tweaks to the file and save to a large variety of the most popular audio formats.

If you’re on a public or work computer and can’t download software, learn how to convert audio files to MP3 on the web for free here.

Audio Recording Tips

Audio recording is both an art and a science. Recording professionals go to school for 2-4 years to learn the basics, and it takes years of practice to find the exact settings and style that work for you. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Whenever possible, record each instrument with 2 microphones. This gives you 2 raw files to mix and match for the perfect sound.
• When using multiple microphones, always ensure the distance between the microphones is 2x the distance from the closest microphone to the recording source. For example, if you’re singing into a microphone from 1 foot away, the 2nd mic needs to be 2 feet away from the 1st mic. If you don’t follow this rule, the sound recorded on each microphone will cancel each other out during playback.
• It’s important to test the recording volume to avoid recording audio that is either too soft or too loud. As a general rule, you will not speak/play as loud during your test as you will during the actual recording, so decrease the volume by 5-10% to make up for this.
• If you hear static during a recording, it is likely caused by the microphone being
  turned up too loud, thus cutting off the sound wave. Try turning the microphone down a little bit.
• It’s easier to turn an audio recording down than it is to turn it up, so make sure you have the microphone turned up loud enough to obtain a quality audio recording to avoid having to redo your recording.
• If you have any questions during the audio process, don’t be afraid to go to your local music shop and ask for assistance. Musicians are a valuable resource for information in regards to audio recording.
• Don’t bother recording a live concert on your cell phone. Not only is it illegal, the quality won’t be anything near what you’re experiencing in person.

Know how to record, but stuck on what to record? Check out: 30 Tips to Rejuvenate Your Creativity

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Sometimes you just need to write out some of the notes that are floating around in your head. Unfortunately, if you’re already in an internet browser, you might not want to wait open your Word or  your computer’s notepad function, or to find a paper and pencil. So what do you do? Simply use your browser by turning a tab into a notebook.

Developer Jose Jesus Perez Aguinaga suggests entering the following simple code into your browser’s address bar:

data:text/html, <html contenteditable>

For many people, it may seem strange to paste something other than a website url into the address bar, but most modern browsers are built to understand commands like this. When you paste in this line of code, you’ll get a blank tab where you can type in anything you want -to put it simply, you’ve turned your tab into a notebook.

Here are a few of the notebooks (and their note-y cousins) I’ve tried, owned, or just plain lusted after.: 10 Great Notebooks Productive People Love

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When was the last time you read a book, or a substantial magazine article? Do your daily reading habits center around tweets, Facebook updates, or the directions on your instant oatmeal packet? If you’re one of countless people who don’t make a habit of reading regularly, you might be missing out: reading has a significant number of benefits, and just a few benefits of reading are listed below.

1. Mental Stimulation

Studies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow the progress of (or possibly even prevent) Alzheimer’s and Dementia, since keeping your brain active and engaged prevents it from losing power. Just like any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy, so the phrase “use it or lose it” is particularly apt when it comes to your mind. Doing puzzles and playing games such as chess have also been found to be helpful with cognitive stimulation.

2. Stress Reduction

No matter how much stress you have at work, in your personal relationships, or countless other issues faced in daily life, it all just slips away when you lose yourself in a great story. A well-written novel can transport you to other realms, while an engaging article will distract you and keep you in the present moment, letting tensions drain away and allowing you to relax.

3. Knowledge

Everything you read fills your head with new bits of information, and you never know when it might come in handy. The more knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are to tackle any challenge you’ll ever face.

Additionally, here’s a bit of food for thought: should you ever find yourself in dire circumstances, remember that although you might lose everything else—your job, your possessions, your money, even your health—knowledge can never be taken from you.

4.Vocabulary Expansion

This goes with the above topic: the more you read, the more words you gain exposure to, and they’ll inevitably make their way into your everyday vocabulary. Being articulate and well-spoken is of great help in any profession, and knowing that you can speak to higher-ups with self-confidence can be an enormous boost to your self-esteem. It could even aid in your career, as those who are well-read, well-spoken, and knowledgeable on a variety of topics tend to get promotions more quickly (and more often) than those with smaller vocabularies and lack of awareness of literature, scientific breakthroughs, and global events.

Reading books is also vital for learning new languages, as non-native speakers gain exposure to words used in context, which will ameliorate their own speaking and writing fluency.

5. Memory Improvement

When you read a book, you have to remember an assortment of characters, their backgrounds, ambitions, history, and nuances, as well as the various arcs and sub-plots that weave their way through every story. That’s a fair bit to remember, but brains are marvellous things and can remember these things with relative ease. Amazingly enough, every new memory you create forges new synapses (brain pathways) and strengthens existing ones, which assists in short-term memory recall as well as stabilizing moods. How cool is that?

6. Stronger Analytical Thinking Skills

Have you ever read an amazing mystery novel, and solved the mystery yourself before finishing the book? If so, you were able to put critical and analytical thinking to work by taking note of all the details provided and sorting them out to determine “whodunnit”.

That same ability to analyze details also comes in handy when it comes to critiquing the plot; determining whether it was a well-written piece, if the characters were properly developed, if the storyline ran smoothly, etc. Should you ever have an opportunity to discuss the book with others, you’ll be able to state your opinions clearly, as you’ve taken the time to really consider all the aspects involved.

7. Improved Focus and Concentration

In our internet-crazed world, attention is drawn in a million different directions at once as we multi-task through every day. In a single 5-minute span, the average person will divide their time between working on a task, checking email, chatting with a couple of people (via gchat, skype, etc.), keeping an eye on twitter, monitoring their smartphone, and interacting with co-workers. This type of ADD-like behaviour causes stress levels to rise, and lowers our productivity.

When you read a book, all of your attention is focused on the story—the rest of the world just falls away, and you can immerse yourself in every fine detail you’re absorbing. Try reading for 15-20 minutes before work (i.e. on your morning commute, if you take public transit), and you’ll be surprised at how much more focused you are once you get to the office.

8. Better Writing Skills

This goes hand-in-hand with the expansion of your vocabulary: exposure to published, well-written work has a noted effect on one’s own writing, as observing the cadence, fluidity, and writing styles of other authors will invariably influence your own work. In the same way that musicians influence one another, and painters use techniques established by previous masters, so do writers learn how to craft prose by reading the works of others.

9. Tranquility

In addition to the relaxation that accompanies reading a good book, it’s possible that the subject you read about can bring about immense inner peace and tranquility. Reading spiritual texts can lower blood pressure and bring about an immense sense of calm, while reading self-help books has been shown to help people suffering from certain mood disorders and mild mental illnesses.

10. Free Entertainment

Though many of us like to buy books so we can annotate them and dog-ear pages for future reference, they can be quite pricey. For low-budget entertainment, you can visit your local library and bask in the glory of the countless tomes available there for free. Libraries have books on every subject imaginable, and since they rotate their stock and constantly get new books, you’ll never run out of reading materials.

If you happen to live in an area that doesn’t have a local library, or if you’re mobility-impaired and can’t get to one easily, most libraries have their books available in PDF or ePub format so you can read them on your e-reader, iPad, or your computer screen. There are also many sources online where you can download free e-books, so go hunting for something new to read!

There’s a reading genre for every literate person on the planet, and whether your tastes lie in classical literature, poetry, fashion magazines, biographies, religious texts, young adult books, self-help guides, street lit, or romance novels, there’s something out there to capture your curiosity and imagination. Step away from your computer for a little while, crack open a book, and replenish your soul for a little while.

What’s the point right? Why bother trying to read a book a week for a year? : How to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks and Save Yourself $21,000

The post 10 Benefits of Reading: Why You Should Read Every Day appeared first on Lifehack.

True friends stab you in the front.

Once you hit 20-something and over, you reach a point where your time becomes your most precious asset. A bad friendship can drain our energy, so we seek to avoid them as much as possible. This manner of prioritization tends to put our relationships into prospective, by subconsciously implementing The Two Laws of Adult Friendship.

3 Signs of a Bad Friend Who Drains Your Energy

The post Daily Quote: What Do True Friends Do? appeared first on Lifehack.

Connection with other people is one of the most important aspects of life, but when you’re not connecting, it can be hard to figure out what’s going wrong. Whether it’s with friends, family members, co-workers, or kids, the following five steps will help you quickly move from feeling isolated and disconnected to being able to create deep and meaningful connections no matter who’s in front of you.

1  Breathe, relax and find your center

One of the things I notice when I’m feeling disconnected from others is that I’m usually also feeling sad, anxious, or angry. The reason I’m disconnected is because I’ve been avoiding the natural connection that is easily available when I’m present and enjoying life.

So, the first thing to do when you find yourself out of sorts is to stop, take some deep breaths, and notice what’s going on inside of you. When we can tune in to our own emotional world, or physical sensations in our bodies, or anxiety-producing thoughts that keep swirling in our minds, we’re much better able to put those thoughts, feelings or sensations into perspective. Rather than determining our experience, these things are simply a part of our experience and can be either dealt with in the moment or put aside until later, allowing us to be more present and available for connection.

After tuning in, it’s much easier to “find your center” or discover your unmoving sense of self. For instance, when I’m feeling sad, I disconnect and sulk, but when I notice I’m feeling sad, I’m able to say to myself, “I’m feeling sad right now, but I am not my sadness. I am generally a joyful person who cares a lot about others. My kind and loving heart is the core of who I am.” Ahhh, that feels MUCH better.

2  Make eye contact

Now that you’ve discovered what’s happening with you that has been keeping you away from connection with others, it’s time to make yourself more available by making eye contact. When we avoid connection, we often avoid eye contact. That’s because the eyes really are like windows to the soul.

When we make eye contact, a LOT of information is transmitted from one person to another. I’m sure you’ve had the experience of looking into someone’s eyes and suddenly thinking, “I know exactly how this person is feeling.” Sometimes we’re right and sometimes we’re wrong, but by making eye contact we make our selves vulnerable and available in a way that we just aren’t when we look down or away.

If you find extended eye contact difficult, go back to step one, breathe, relax, and tune in to your own thoughts and feelings and then when you’re ready to connect again, resume eye contact. Sometimes just taking a deep breath is enough to help me relax enough to maintain eye contact.

One more thing about eye contact: don’t try to look at both eyes at once or to give each eye equal time. Instead, just decide to look into one eye without shifting your gaze. I usually use the left eye, but that’s just my personal preference. By choosing one eye and maintaining steady but relaxed eye contact, the other person knows that you’re available and ready to connect.

3  Tune in and practice empathy

Now put your attention on the other person. Really take a moment to stop thinking about what you’re about to say or where you’re headed next, or what the other person is thinking about you and actually pay attention to the person across from you. Get curious about what the other person is experiencing. Is she feeling sad, hurt, or happy? Is he distracted by the television in the room? Does the energy of the conversation seem to change when he talks about his dad?

By noticing some of the subtle shifts in the conversation and then checking in about them, you can quickly move from small talk into a deeper connection. For example, perhaps you and a co-worker are talking about the weather:

Y: “Wow, it’s freezing out there! The wind is really blowing!”

T: “I know! I almost slipped on some ice on my way to work this morning. It’s a good thing my mom isn’t planning on running any errands today. She broke her hip last winter.”

Y: “You know, I could really feel how much you care about and want to protect your mom when you shared that. Was it a bad break?”

T: “Yeah, it took months to heal and definitely took a toll on the whole family. We’re used to Mom taking care of us, not the other way around.”

Y: “I bet it’s scary to see the tables turning as your parents get older. I’m going through that too, and it’s so disconcerting to see my parents need more and more help as they age. I wish they could stay young and healthy forever.”

4  Appreciate and enjoy

Now that you’ve connected and empathized, make sure to keep things moving in a positive direction. You want to connect, but you don’t want to see this person in the hall a few days later and think about what a dark, heavy conversation you had. Instead, you want to leave the other person feeling appreciated and remembering what an enjoyable conversation it was.

Even dark or heavy topics can still feel enjoyable if you practice appreciation during the conversation. Take the above example, can you see where Y was appreciating and enjoying T’s love for his mom?

When we can genuinely appreciate and enjoy the person we’re connecting with, they feel seen and accepted and want to continue to connect further.

If you’re having trouble enjoying a particular person, just try to find one thing to appreciate about them in that moment. Maybe their hair smells nice, or you like their smile, or the sound of their voice reminds you of your favorite uncle. By focusing on the thing you enjoy, your appreciation will come through naturally without additional effort on your part.

5  Lighten up

One of the pitfalls of wanting deeper connection with people is that we can get stuck in a mode of thinking that “deeper connection” has to look and feel a certain way. Let me assure you, it doesn’t. When we can let go of any attachments we might have to a conversation going a certain way, and simply enjoy where it’s going organically, we take the pressure off and allow for much more fun and connection.

And, by showing that you’re not dead set on discovering their deepest darkest secret or uncovering some childhood trauma, you’re inviting a level of openness and vulnerability that the other person is comfortable with. That will ultimately lead to more spontaneous sharing that is much more likely to result to an ongoing deepening of connection.

Having fun is a great way to connect with others and it’s a wonderful indicator of whether you’ll want to continue this connection into the future. If it’s no fun, you probably won’t want to do it again.

So, those are my five steps to connect more deeply with anyone and everyone. I would love to know your thoughts, please share a story or comment below.

And have a fabulous day, Shelly

How you can add a significant amount of depth, and thus strength, to your relationships: 5 Ways to Build Stronger Relationships

The post 5 Steps to Instantly Connect More Deeply with Anyone and Everyone appeared first on Lifehack.

Let’s face it! Life will serve you plenty of reasons to be less than happy. But you know what? The time to take control and be a little happier has come!

It doesn’t matter what adversities you need to face. You only have one life, and you’d better make the most of it. The good news is that you can make yourself feel great very easily. Check out the tips below!

How to Put a Smile on Your Face in Less Than 10 Minutes

1. Listen to one of your favorite songs. Yes, the world will not crash if you take a few minutes to listen to a song you love. Sing along if there’s no danger to get thrown out of the window by angry colleagues.
2. Think about someone who has had a major positive influence in your life. Close your eyes and allow yourself to be filled with inspiration and positive energy.
3. Feel gratitude! Think about the reasons you have to feel grateful. A lot of things may go south, but you absolutely have a lot of reasons to be thankful.
4. Cherish the sun! Have you noticed what a positive impact good weather has on our mood? It’s magic! So take advantage of this and when you feel down, check the window! Do you see a round and yellow smiling face gazing through? If yes, drop everything and enjoy the sun for 10 minutes.
5. Call someone you love and tell them you love them. It can be anyone you love. I don’t think you need to spend too much time to think about who to call, do you?
6. Drop any expectations you have in the world. We want things to go in a certain way, people to behave in the way we expect them to, and so on. Just put all these expectations aside and allow yourself to get rid of the pressure. For 10 minutes, you are allowed to immerse yourself into freedom and inner peace. And, by the way, since you’re there, you may decide to stay a bit more…
7. Chocolate time. I realize a lot of people watch their calorie intake, and this tip may raise some eyebrows. To note, it is not something to do on a regular basis, but from time to time, just get your favorite chocolate and eat it with no remorse. Forget about carbs, fats, or calories and simply enjoy a sweet moment in time.
8. Do something crazy. Do you always follow the rules? Well, it’s time to get out of your comfort zone and do something crazy — something that you don’t usually do, but that you secretly want to do. Or at least plan it. Don’t worry, it will be our little secret.
9. Lock the door, press play, and dance like there’s no tomorrow. Oh, yes! Let all the negative energy melt away. The walls need to see some crazy moves, so don’t be shy. You can put on your suit and attend that boring meeting afterwards. But now, it’s show time!
10. Get out in the park, in a forest, or close your eyes and memorize the last time you went there. Allow nature to embrace you. Feel the inner peace… and smile!
11. Run at full speed for 10 minutes. If you’re not in good shape, don’t try this, but do some other form of physical activity you are comfortable with. This releases endorphins, and you will feel better instantly.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. I kept the biggest tip for the end though: don’t look for reasons to smile outside, but inside yourself. Better yet, if you don’t find any, create them! It only takes a few minutes.

Ever noticed how hard it is to find a good picture of yourself?: How to Smile Naturally without Looking Creepy

The post 11 Tips to Put a Smile on Your Face in Less Than 10 Minutes appeared first on Lifehack.