New research suggests that, in the early morning, you can have your cake and shed pounds too A new study from Tel Aviv University finds that eating a small dessert as part of a balanced breakfast can actually help you shed unwanted pounds. Staying skinny and eating chocolate? Here, a brief guide to what sounds, frankly, impossible: Full story at The Week. Photo: CC by ::paqman:: All the top stories from The Week. Permalink | Leave a comment »
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Most Topular Stories
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Can dessert for breakfast help you lose weight?
Holy Kaw!9 Feb 2012 | 1:39 pm -
First Lady Promotes Fitness In North Texas - KERA News
FITNESS NEWS - Google News9 Feb 2012 | 11:14 amFirst Lady Promotes Fitness In North TexasKERA NewsFirst lady Michelle Obama spends the next two days in North Texas as she makes a three-day national tour to promote childhood fitness and the battle against childhood obesity. Obama's first North Texas stop will be at Thursday's dinner hour in Fort and more » -
Fifteen Minutes to Fit
Weight Loss Journal9 Feb 2012 | 4:36 pmIf you hate working out, and you are tired of long, drawn out and boring work outs, then you will be happy to know that you can throw them away and get better results in only fifteen minutes. Working out properly is all about getting the most out of the time that you spend working out. This is a simple fifteen minute workout that can benefit your health, build strength and give you numerous other health benefits. If you hate long, boring work outs, then this fifteen minutes to fit workout is exactly what you need. Step 1 - Pushups! The trick to getting the most out of push ups is to do them… -
Two And A Half Weeks Down On P90X. How Many More Are There?
Quick To Fit26 Jan 2012 | 10:01 amA couple of weeks ago I wrote a post on this site talking about how I was considering starting the P90X® workout program because I needed some structure in my fitness life, and I thought this looked like a good program to try. I got some great feedback from some friends and colleagues online, many of them saying that they had done P90X® previously, and that they highly recommended it. Most of them said the program was tough, but that it was ultimately worth it for them. With all the great feedback I decided to jump in and give it a shot. I bought the program and was hoping to start… -
Care to downsize that order? Many want smaller portions
msnbc.com: Diet and nutrition8 Feb 2012 | 1:17 pmStudy finds that, when offered, many restaurant patrons choose to consume less food and fewer calories.
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Holy Kaw!
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Can dessert for breakfast help you lose weight?
9 Feb 2012 | 1:39 pmNew research suggests that, in the early morning, you can have your cake and shed pounds too A new study from Tel Aviv University finds that eating a small dessert as part of a balanced breakfast can actually help you shed unwanted pounds. Staying skinny and eating chocolate? Here, a brief guide to what sounds, frankly, impossible: Full story at The Week. Photo: CC by ::paqman:: All the top stories from The Week. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Romance survey [infographic]
9 Feb 2012 | 12:02 pmVia Hotels.com. Infographics to put you in the mood. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Do aliens go invisible by 'going green'?
9 Feb 2012 | 11:24 amAs we discover more and more planets around other stars, the Fermi Paradox is becoming, well, more paradoxical. The Fermi Paradox simply asks the question "where are they?" Our Milky Way galaxy is so big and so old -- and we are estimated to be accompanied by at least 100 billion planets -- that aliens should have visited us by now. Instead, when we peruse the heavens, we are faced with the Great Silence, which is one of the biggest challenges to modern astronomy. Full story at Discovery News. More news from Discovery Communications. Photo credit: Fotolia Permalink | Leave a… -
Mysterious sounds reported around the world
9 Feb 2012 | 11:23 amPeople around the world have reported hearing strange sounds from the skies over the past month. Sometimes they describe it as a hum or low rumble; other times it’s a whine, thump, or even a melody. Often the sounds have been recorded and posted online, fueling rumors and conspiracy theories. One blogger wrote, "either the world is ending, aliens are landing or everyone is getting hoaxed. Or, possibly, there’s an actual scientific explanation for the mass amount of YouTube videos capturing bizarre sounds that are being heard around the globe. Are we witnessing the beginning of a… -
Costa Concordia: an ecological time bomb
9 Feb 2012 | 11:21 amAs workers begin to extract the half-million gallons of fuel in the shipwrecked cruise liner, locals are worried that their pristine waters are in danger. Reporting by Rossella Lorenzi. Written and produced by Rossella Lorenzi and Martin Berman. Full story at Discovery News. More news from Discovery Communications. Permalink | Leave a comment »
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FITNESS NEWS - Google News
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First Lady Promotes Fitness In North Texas - KERA News
9 Feb 2012 | 11:14 amFirst Lady Promotes Fitness In North TexasKERA NewsFirst lady Michelle Obama spends the next two days in North Texas as she makes a three-day national tour to promote childhood fitness and the battle against childhood obesity. Obama's first North Texas stop will be at Thursday's dinner hour in Fort and more » -
Fitness buzz: getting off on the wrong foot - the Inkwell
9 Feb 2012 | 10:24 amFitness buzz: getting off on the wrong footthe InkwellI've made several changes in my approach to fitness in the last year, but the biggest change, by far, was my switch to minimalist shoes (aka barefoot shoes). Leading up to my first race, I battled shin splints in what seemed like a never ending cycle and more » -
Life Time Fitness Announces Date for Release of Fourth Quarter and Full Year ... - MarketWatch (press release)
9 Feb 2012 | 6:02 amLife Time Fitness Announces Date for Release of Fourth Quarter and Full Year MarketWatch (press release)CHANHASSEN, Minn., Feb 09, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Life Time Fitness, Inc. /quotes/zigman/350115/quotes/nls/ltm LTM -0.46% , The Healthy Way of Life Company, today announced that its fourth quarter and year end 2011 financial results announcement will and more » -
Fitness Industry Dream Team Gains Muscle Mass With Latest Venture - Wall Street Journal (blog)
8 Feb 2012 | 3:36 pmFitness Industry Dream Team Gains Muscle Mass With Latest VentureWall Street Journal (blog)The former owners of Gold's Gym International are joining the founder of 24 Hour Fitness International Inc. to create a fitness dream team that's hoping to pump up the fitness market. Brothers John and Kirk Galiani are joining Mark Mastrov, New Evolution Ventures and Kirk & John Galiani Partner to Build US Fitness Sacramento Beeall 4 news articles » -
FitBusinessInsider.com Promotes Fitness Marketing "Inner Circle" with Discount ... - San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
9 Feb 2012 | 3:09 amFitBusinessInsider.com Promotes Fitness Marketing "Inner Circle" with Discount San Francisco Chronicle (press release)Fitness marketing tips are now available to members of Fit Business Insider Inner Circle for only $1 the first month. FitBusinessInsider.com has unveiled a limited time discount membership to its "Inner Circle" program. Fitness businesses and personal and more »
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Weight Loss Journal
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Fifteen Minutes to Fit
9 Feb 2012 | 4:36 pmIf you hate working out, and you are tired of long, drawn out and boring work outs, then you will be happy to know that you can throw them away and get better results in only fifteen minutes. Working out properly is all about getting the most out of the time that you spend working out. This is a simple fifteen minute workout that can benefit your health, build strength and give you numerous other health benefits. If you hate long, boring work outs, then this fifteen minutes to fit workout is exactly what you need. Step 1 - Pushups! The trick to getting the most out of push ups is to do them… -
Strength Training for Weight Loss
9 Feb 2012 | 4:32 amOne of the questions that people find themselves asking is how strength training is capable of helping people lose weight. The truth is, when you are trying to lose weight, strength training is very, very important, even if you have no intention of becoming buff or ripped. Strength training does more than simply toning your body. The fact is, strength training is capable of revving up your metabolism so that you can burn more calories while you are at rest as well as while you are being active. Here is how it happens: When you are exercising regularly, you are building up a proportion of… -
Weight Loss Secrets pt 3
8 Feb 2012 | 4:23 pmThe right weight loss secrets can go really far in helping you achieve the healthful and natural weight loss that you are looking for. Here are some healthy and natural weight loss secrets. Weight Loss Secret #1 - Chunk up your salad using chopped up carrots, sweet potatoes, celery, zucchini and a number of other veggies rather than choosing the shredded or sliced varieties. It takes much more effort for you to munch on these larger pieces, and so you are going to do more chewing and this is going to lead you to eat less when you arrive at the main course of the meal. Weight Loss Secret #2 -… -
4 Ways to Measure Your Success
8 Feb 2012 | 4:19 amWhen we think of weight loss success, we tend to think in inches and pounds, but there are actually many ways that you can measure success. When you make that commitment to get healthy, many things in your life and in your body will be changing. Don't get hung up on inches or pounds, as these may not be the right indicators for how well you are doing. Weight loss, when done properly, takes time, but you'll be getting several steps closer to success the longer you keep it up. Let's take a look at a few ways that you can measure your success. 1. The Way You Feel. The first few days or even… -
Sunday Roundup – Don’t Eat Bland
7 Feb 2012 | 4:12 pmHappy Sunday everyone. Hope you got your fitness cap on along with your cup of joe today. Check out the links below for some great weekend reading. The Fitness Health Network presents: Lazy Man and Health writes about Post Workout Nutrition. Get Fit Slowly says Maybe I Need A Remedial Weightlifting Program. Make yourself a online food diary like NCN to track your meals. See an example in Yesterday's Calorie Chart. My Daughter Out Ran Me, Teach Kids Health and Fitness says Fat Man Unleashed. Join Mr. Low Bodyfat's newsletter for great health related articles. See Feed Your Brain to Lose the…
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Quick To Fit
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Two And A Half Weeks Down On P90X. How Many More Are There?
26 Jan 2012 | 10:01 amA couple of weeks ago I wrote a post on this site talking about how I was considering starting the P90X® workout program because I needed some structure in my fitness life, and I thought this looked like a good program to try. I got some great feedback from some friends and colleagues online, many of them saying that they had done P90X® previously, and that they highly recommended it. Most of them said the program was tough, but that it was ultimately worth it for them. With all the great feedback I decided to jump in and give it a shot. I bought the program and was hoping to start… -
EatSmart Precision GetFit Digital Body Fat Scale Giveaway
22 Jan 2012 | 11:16 pmA few weeks ago I agreed to do a review of a new digital body fat scale from the folks over at EatSmart, the EatSmart Precision GetFit Digital Body Fat Scale. It’s a nice looking scale, with a nice sleek glass surface with no raised buttons, and a high tech look. It looks like something out of Star Trek. I did a full review of the EatSmart Scale after using it for a week or two. My verdict? It’s a nice scale that has a lot going for it, especially if you want to get regular body fat readings (along with other stats). Here’s a quick look at the scale from my video… -
How To Exercise While On Vacation Or On The Road For Work
12 Jan 2012 | 11:43 amOne thing that can be extremely difficult to do is continue exercising or working out while you’re on the road. Often the places you’re staying may not have adequate workout facilities or weights that you normally work out with. What is a person to do when there just aren’t many great options for exercising? It’s time to get creative! Exercising On The Road – Get Creative When you’re on vacation or on the road for work it can be tough to maintain a regular workout schedule. If you plan ahead, however, it can be done. So what are some things you can… -
Can Playing Golf Help You To Get Fit?
12 Jan 2012 | 11:11 amA while back I wrote an article on this site talking about how running can be a great cardio exercise, but how there are so many exercise alternatives for people who don’t enjoy running (of which I am one). Among alternative exercises that we listed: Doing a workout video Playing basketball Rowing machine Hiking on local trails Spin classes Stationary bike Roller Blading The alternatives are really numerous and you’re really only limited by your creativity. There are a ton of exercises out there for non-runners. One of the alternatives that I didn’t list, but that truly… -
I Started My P90X Journey Last Night. Do Your Best, Forget The Rest!
10 Jan 2012 | 8:19 amA few weeks ago I talked about how I was considering jumping in full bore and trying P90X. I had heard it was tough, but when you think about it – so many things in life worth having aren’t easy to achieve. After considering all the pros and cons and hearing from several P90X graduates (and P90X evangelists!) I decided to give it a try. I got the class materials a couple of weeks ago and delved into them. The class takes a whole life approach to losing weight, eating healthy, and exercising to become fit. They give you a full nutrition and exercise program when you sign up, not…
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msnbc.com: Diet and nutrition
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Care to downsize that order? Many want smaller portions
8 Feb 2012 | 1:17 pmStudy finds that, when offered, many restaurant patrons choose to consume less food and fewer calories. -
Lap-Band surgeries halted at 2 LA clinics
8 Feb 2012 | 6:19 amTwo Los Angeles-area outpatient clinics affiliated with the 1-800 GET-THIN marketing company have temporarily stopped Lap-Band weight-loss surgeries while they conduct a review of the procedure. -
Salt overload: Nearly all U.S. adults consume too much
7 Feb 2012 | 11:10 amDespite public health messages telling Americans to lower the amount of salt in their diets, 90 percent of people in the U.S. older than age 2 consume more than the recommended amount of sodium each day, a new report says. -
Sponsored By:
7 Feb 2012 | 11:10 am -
Junk foods still plentiful at elementary schools
6 Feb 2012 | 1:47 pmJunk food remains plentiful at the nation's elementary schools despite widespread efforts to curb childhood obesity, a new study suggests.
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NUTRITION - Google Blog Search
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New IFPRI 2020 Conference Book: Reshaping Agriculture for ...
9 Feb 2012 | 1:19 pmThe 23 chapters in Reshaping Agriculture for Nutrition and Health, edited by Shenggen Fan and Rajul Pandya-Lorch, examine how much more agriculture could do to improve human well-being if it included specific policies, -
Nutrition experts teach healthy and tasty portioning for kids KIND ...
9 Feb 2012 | 9:02 amWith childhood obesity on the rise, CW New York spoke with nutrition expert, Sharon Richter, regarding ways parents can keep kids healthy with a selection of. -
Orange juice as cold medicine and more nutrition myths — Health ...
9 Feb 2012 | 7:52 amWe've all heard it before, “you should drink orange juice when you are sick because it will boost your immunity.” But is that really true? Myth 1: Orange juice boosts your immune system It turns out that the opposite is likely true. -
kids and nutrition talk #4, “frosting nutriency…” « Family Feeding ...
9 Feb 2012 | 6:28 amkids and nutrition talk #4, “frosting nutriency…” 2012-02-09. I think all the talk at kids about nutrition is not only wasted hot air, but also harmful. They don't get it… Case in point, kidsa dna nutrition talk #4… (I think it's #4, I wasn't planning on a -
Military Food To Get A Nutrition Upgrade
9 Feb 2012 | 6:20 amWASHINGTON -- Hold the mystery meat: Military bases will soon be serving more fruits, vegetables and low-fat dishes under the first program in 20 years to improve nutrition standards across the armed services. First lady
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Healthy Eating Tips
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7 Big Nutrition Myths
8 Feb 2012 | 1:00 amThese days there is an incredible amount of information available on what to eat for health, fitness and weight loss. Unfortunately, a good deal of it is distorted, biased, or simply untrue. Often, the scientists conducting studies on a given food product, or supplement, are employed by the very company which produces the product — how can they possibly be impartial? At other times, studies are completed in a very short period of time, or are improperly carried out, producing misleading results. This is why you need to be so careful where you get your health information from, and make sure… -
14 Ways To Be More Active {Readers Tips}
2 Feb 2012 | 3:04 amSome of you will remember I asked if you would share your best tip for maintaining an active lifestyle. You came up with some really super answers, and I decided to put them together into an article, so that everyone can benefit from your wisdom. How To Be More Active LarryLens 1. Nell on making time for yourself My best tip for staying active is making a date with yourself to do something you enjoy. Running/walking on my treadmill in the mornings is my time. I get to listen to the music I want, and no-one bugs me for 30 whole minutes! It helps me stay sane for my husband and kids. 2. Chelsea… -
Why You Should Eat Eggs For Breakfast
31 Jan 2012 | 2:06 amI’m sure I’ve said this before, but my husband, Armen, maintains one of the keys to his weight loss success, is that he had two boiled eggs every morning when he was losing weight. Many of you reading this may be worried that the cholesterol contained in eggs could lead to clogged arteries. However, as research has developed down through the years, we’ve come to understand that foods containing cholesterol are not dangerous to heart health. And, there is a significant amount of evidence already out there that eggs can play an important role in weight management. This is… -
Mini Meals: Would This Style Of Eating Work For You?
25 Jan 2012 | 7:30 amEating smaller, “mini-meals,” throughout the day can help to keep blood glucose levels steady, and is even said to boost metabolism. That means, this style of eating may actually be a really great way to help you maintain or lose weight. The basic idea is that each meal contains around 300 calories, and you eat about six meals each day. Personally, I’m not into counting calories at all, but I suppose I do fall into this style of eating on a normal day. I prefer to eat small, snack-sized meals most of the day, except for my main meal at night. My Eating Plan chericem When… -
And, The Winner Is…
24 Jan 2012 | 3:51 amMi-Bra Thank you all so much for your entries to win one of Carolina’s Mi-Bra‘s. It was great to hear from all of you, and there were a number of really excellent tips shared on ways to maintain an active lifestyle — I’m thinking of making these into an article later in the week So, without further ado, the winner is… Karolyne — I’ll be in touch with you soon to make arrangements for posting your prize. To everyone else, a huge thank you for entering. Don’t forget to check out Carolina’s Facebook page, if you haven’t done so already. Stay…
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Trifuel
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Sudden Cardiac Death and the Endurance Athlete
9 Feb 2012 | 9:07 amWith the recent passing of our friend Chris Gleason, many here at Endurance Nation have been wondering whether we should be doing more to ensure that our participation in our beloved hobby is a safe, smart idea. To that end, a few of the MD’s in the haus have offered up a summary of the risks and recommendations specifically for endurance athletes.read more -
Four High Energy Meals For Triathletes
3 Feb 2012 | 9:15 amOne trick in triathlon is to figure out how to eat the thousands of calories necessary for fueling your body, without doing all the health, teeth and gut damage caused by sugary sports drinks, over-consumption of gels, huge portions of starches. read more -
Return on Investment Series, Part II: The Swim
2 Feb 2012 | 9:17 amIn Part I of this series we introduced you to the concept of using “Return on Investment” to make decisions on how you invest your limited resources of time, headspace, Spousal Approval Units, and money towards triathlon training. read more -
Triathlon Lingo 101
30 Jan 2012 | 9:52 amEver wish you had a quick resource to pick up some common triathlon terms that are frequently thrown around by veterans, but sometimes confuse newbies? Look no further - here are some common triathlon terms to add to your vocabulary... read more -
Crossfit, Is it a Safe Program?
19 Jan 2012 | 11:52 amWith the increase in popularity the past few years, Crossfit gyms are opening everywhere. People watch the "Crossfit Games" on ESPN and are intrigued by the great looking, physically gifted athletes that are competing. I have received numerous emails, texts and questions on my views on Crossfit and their workout protocols. Here’s my answer: read more
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Motivation and Inspiration Beyond the Ironman Journey
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About One Hundred Push Ups
27 Jan 2012 | 6:57 amI am not one to back away from a challenge. Specially a self imposed challenge.I came across a program called "One Hundred Push Ups" about two years ago. Interesting, I thought, considering the fact that back then it was a stretch... a very long stretch for me to complete 8-10 push ups in good form. So, I printed the schedule and off I went.One thing led to another (excuses I think) and next thing you know I had forgotten about the program. I don't remember how far into it I progressed, but I think it must have been somewhere around one, maybe two weeks. The only… -
About 2012 Schedule
16 Jan 2012 | 7:20 amAlrighty! It looks like my "A" events for 2012 have been solidified for I have completed registration(s).On May 20, 2012 I will be participating in...I chose this one because most of my brothers and sisters, as well as their families live in the very area where this race will take place. They have never been to one of my events so this will be a great opportunity for them to do so. One of my brothers has actually purchased a new bike and will be venturing in the world of triathlons. This will be a great opportunity for him to see what he's getting into. They are… -
About The Fifth Element
13 Jan 2012 | 9:25 amMany say that triathlons have four disciplines: Swim, Bike, Run and Nutrition. I'd like to add Mental Strength as the Fifth Element, specially if you're involved in long distance triathlons. It is without a doubt that an Ironman event is the ultimate test of speed, strength and endurance; a physical test like no other. However, it is very possible that the triathletes mental strength will be tested to an even higher degree.Making it through one of the world's most grueling events is not a matter of chance. No doubt you will come, as most do, physically prepared to… -
About Mistakes
9 Jan 2012 | 6:23 am"If you're making mistakes, it means you're learning. If you're making lots of mistakes, it means you're learning a lot." There are two kinds of people who never make mistakes, the dead and the unborn. The rest of us should strive to one day look back and consider all our mistakes as lessons, for this is what they truly are.Everyone makes mistakes. Accepting that fact is easier said than done. We are all taught at an early age and reinforced through our entire life not to make mistakes. Additionally, we are trained to react negatively when we do make a… -
About A Year In Review
30 Dec 2011 | 9:12 amIf there was ever a good year, 2011 was the one!Now, don't get me wrong, I've had a pretty good run and I have very little, if anything, to complain about. I have the most wonderful family a man could ever ask for; a lovely, beautiful, caring, adoring wife, two magnificent daughters that any father would be proud to have and what has to be the most amazing grandson ever. The good Lord definitely knows into whose life to drop these blessings.I am not any different from anyone who wants to accomplish great things in life and is willing to work hard for them. I am focused,…
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Swim Bike Run Live
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Wordless Wednesday: Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle Yeah
8 Feb 2012 | 12:58 pm -
Sunday Confessional: Winter Happy Place
5 Feb 2012 | 8:50 amIt is time for a little Sunday confesional. I’m not always a relaxed, joking ball of fun. Sometimes I’m a depressed, aggressive jerk. Winter can suck REALLY hard if you let it. In Boston, this winter has been REALLY mild. Definitely the least amount of snow we’ve had in 5 years, which is a big transition especially after we got walloped with storm after storm last year with no thaw between. I’ve only had to break out the snow shovel ONCE this winter. And it is FEBRUARY already. Unheard of! Some triathletes love it and bundle up and head out for a rare January outdoor… -
Tag Teaming
30 Jan 2012 | 6:21 pmBecause you know you love blogger memes…. I got tagged by my favorite Rev3 Triathlon Team Leader and Colorado Cougar, Carole Sharpless. And then bad ass momma Laura Mount piled on as well. Here is how we play the game. 1. Post these rules 2. You must post 11 random things about yourself 3. Answer the questions set for you in their post (I guess I’ve gotta do this twice for both Carole and Laura’s questions…) 4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer 5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them 6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are… -
Three Things – Swimming Edition
26 Jan 2012 | 6:11 pm1) I somehow failed to set my alarm last night to get up up and out the door to masters swimming on time. But I woke up on my own at 4:55 am, texted Julia that I’d be late and wouldn’t be able to shuttle her to practice, and still make it to practice just in the nick of time. Even after I realized there was a surprise snow dusting and I had to scrape off my car. I think I can officially say that I’m on a regular training schedule and my body has a nice eat-sleep-train rhythm going on. 2) Swimming HURTS. I’m about a month into a bit swimming block and I can say with… -
When I’m 70
18 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am…I won’t care about how bald my head is, how many wrinkles are on my face or any thing else about my deteriorating appearance. But if I can come back from the doctor’s office with body scans that look like this, I’ll be pretty happy. Check out that crazy comparison between fat, muscle and bone density! Via Laura McIntyre, Physiotherapist
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Lifehacker: Android
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The Best Virtual Assistant for Android
9 Feb 2012 | 10:30 amThere are a number of apps for Android that all advertise that they can be your personal assistant. None of them are perfect, and all of them have their quirks, issues, and especially their limitations. Even so, we think that Vlingo is your best bet for a well-rounded personal assistant for Android. More » -
Microsoft OneNote Comes to Android, Syncs with Microsoft SkyDrive
8 Feb 2012 | 4:30 pmMore » -
Market Unlocker Makes Location Restricted Market and Amazon Apps Available to Users in Any Country
8 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amMore » -
The Aged Paper Home Screen
7 Feb 2012 | 5:00 pmMore » -
Transparent Screen for Android Lets You Walk and Text at the Same Time Without Bumping into Things
7 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pmMore »
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SmartBrief on Leadership
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Myanmar rebels dodge bullets, then shoot birdies
9 Feb 2012 | 5:43 amAfter a hard day battling government troops, Myanmar's rebel fighters like to decompress by playing a round or two of golf. -More- Medical Auditor TUV Rheinland -
Do your workers know when it's OK to unplug?
9 Feb 2012 | 5:43 amIf you e-mail your workers at 4 a.m. -More- -
It's morning in Africa
9 Feb 2012 | 5:43 amAfrica's economy is looking up, writes Ndubuisi Ekekwe. -More- -
3 lessons from the Komen crisis
9 Feb 2012 | 5:43 amThe reaction to the Komen Foundation's decision to defund Planned Parenthood, later reversed, shows the need for leaders to p -More- -
Why leaders should be philosophers
9 Feb 2012 | 5:43 amBusiness leaders should be philosophers, says John Petrucci. -More-
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Leading Blog: A Leadership Blog
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Lead With Purpose
8 Feb 2012 | 11:38 pmWithout a clear sense of purpose, organizations become listless. John Baldoni says in Lead With Purpose that it falls to the leader to make certain that organizational purpose is understood and acted upon. Retired Army colonel, George Reed told Baldoni that the importance of this cannot be underestimated: I don’t think you can hit purpose enough as a senior leader. It is one of those things that can be undercommunicated by an order of magnitude. You cannot oversell, overpronounce “Here’s why we’re here.” The problem is that leaders think that they have communicated it enough, but… -
5 Leadership Lessons: Great Leaders Grow
6 Feb 2012 | 9:52 pmKen Blanchard and Mark Miller have penned another business fable, Great Leaders Grow. People and organizations are not fully alive unless they are growing. They ask, “will you be a leader who is always ready to face the next challenge, or will you be a leader that tries to apply yesterday’s solutions to today’s problems? The latter will ultimately fail,” say the authors. The solution is to GROW: Growth is the leader’s fountain of youth. Growing, for great leaders, is like breathing. It’s not optional. It is not something you do in addition to your real job. It is at the… -
Leading Views: Ideas are Immortal. Inspiration is Perishable.
3 Feb 2012 | 5:05 pmIn ReWork—a go-to book for inspiration—authors Jason Fried and David Hansson explain why you need to get on with it. Just do it. We all have ideas. Ideas are immortal. They last forever. What doesn’t last forever is inspiration. Inspiration is like fresh fruit or milk: It has an expiration date. If you want to do something, you’ve got to do it now. You can’t put it on the shelf and wait two months to get around to it. You can’t just say you’ll do it later. Later, you won’t be pumped up about it anymore. If you’re inspired on a Friday, swear of the weekend and dive into the… -
First Look: Leadership Books for February 2012
1 Feb 2012 | 12:02 amHere's a look at some of the best leadership books to be released in February. Collaborate: The Art of We by Dan Sanker Good Idea. Now What? How to Move Ideas to Execution by Charles T. Lee The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg Your Best Just Got Better: Work Smarter, Think Bigger, Make More by Jason W. Womack Make Up Your Mind: A Decision Making Guide to Thinking Clearly and Choosing Wisely by Hal Mooz For bulk orders call 1-800-423-8273 Build your leadership library with these specials on over 120 titles. All… -
LeadershipNow 140: January 2012 Compilation
31 Jan 2012 | 1:54 pmHere are a selection of tweets from January 2012 that you might have missed: Video: President Abraham Lincoln and Leadership via @jamesstrock Lonely at Work by @wallybock "Relationships grow through communication." 7 Marks of a Great Leader by @RonEdmondson @mjasmus asks "What Do You Need to do More Of?" >Key question Mike Henry Sr: You Can’t Learn Anything with Your Mouth Open We handicap our potential when we think we have to exploit others to get ahead. Succeeding is not a zero-sum game. More @DPForrester: Gotta Have It Now, Right Now @PeteThePlanner: Would you agree that Kindness is the…
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Talking Story with Rosa Say
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If you worked for me
2 Feb 2012 | 4:06 pmIf you worked for me, you’d only be working 20 hours per week (or less), yet you’d feel well compensated. If you worked for me, we’d talk about values all the time. Managing with Aloha would be a verb, not a noun, and you’d ‘get to’ Ho‘ohana. If you worked for me, you’d Lead with Aloha too: An Aloha Business for 2012 If you worked for me, you’d get the Daily Five Minutes, and you’d give it to others. Conversation and win-win agreements would become your m.o. If you worked for me, I’d expect you to contribute to our company cause — and you’d want to. You’d be a… -
Q&A: Leading up, and Changing Culture
28 Jan 2012 | 2:29 pmReceived these questions from a friend of mine, a professor teaching a college course on the “Emotional Health in Organizations” and thought I’d share my answer with all of you who read Talking Story as well: How does one effectively “lead up” in their organization, if it is still managed like the Industrial Revolution? How does one BEST change the culture from within? Is it REALLY possible…since the key leader always defines the culture of the organization???? Yes, it’s possible, if you are willing to do what it takes. Life is short, and we all have more options in the best… -
Book Review: Where Good Ideas Come From
24 Jan 2012 | 8:00 pmYou probably knew a book review was coming when I went all “you MUST read” on you, didn’t you. I’m giving myself a Goodreads challenge again, and this was book 5 for me this month. I tend to read more early in the year, and my challenge is to read books more consistently. The Kindle Daily Deal helps immensely, for it constantly adds to the queue in an easily affordable way. So many books, so little time… Where Good Ideas Come From Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation by Steven Johnson (Goodreads Links) Link to Amazon.com: Where Good Ideas Come From: The… -
Managers, you need to READ
23 Jan 2012 | 11:18 amThe more I read, the more I’m convinced that reading is a habit Alaka‘i Managers must cultivate. You must. You need to read for your own good. Reading is your window to the rest of our fascinating world, and the world is a wonderfully big, and varied place. Management consumes us (managemeant even more so). As we dig in to all the details of our daily work, we tell ourselves to “focus, focus, focus” and we get isolated despite all the people who surround us in the workplace. They’re in the same boat: Our company and its existing network insulates us in a cocoon of directed… -
Ho‘omau, as nature teaches us to do
21 Jan 2012 | 6:00 amThe value which gets highlighted the most in Managing with Aloha (by Kindle readers, enabling me to notice it) isn’t Aloha or Ho‘ohana: It’s Ho‘omau, the value of persistence, perseverance, tenacity and resilience. “Renew. Anything worth having is worth working for. Persistence is often the defining quality between those who fail and those who succeed… There is never much satisfaction in giving up, and Ho‘omau is the value that will cause you to continue, to persevere in your efforts, and to perpetuate those that have worked.” — Managing with Aloha, Chapter 4 Ultimately,…
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Seth's Blog
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The Weird interview
9 Feb 2012 | 12:06 pmTo celebrate the launch of Squidoo's new UpMarket magazine, we got permission to post an audio interview I recently did with Darren Hardy of Success. You can find it here. Thanks for listening. -
Inaccurate labels and why we need them (and need to improve them)
9 Feb 2012 | 2:46 amIf I tell you, "I'm going to the baseball game," it seems as though you're likely to understand what I mean. Of course, you won't. When George Will goes to a baseball game, it's a religious experience. Me, I don't even like baseball. Or maybe it's my nephew's ball game (the playoffs), or maybe going to the game causes me to miss an important event, and on and on. We label the experience with just two words, and two words can't possibly capture the emotions and circumstance surrounding an event. The same thing is true with brands. If I tell you that a new business was funded by USV, that might… -
How do they know you're not a flake?
8 Feb 2012 | 2:43 amBefore your link gets clicked or your proposal gets read, a busy person is going to triage it to find out if it's even worth glancing at. Since everyone is now connected, the new permeability has created a deluge of noise, and just about everyone worth contacting is taking defensive measures. Do I know this person? Did someone I trust send them over? Where does she work? (Ideo? the FDA? The New York Times?) Has she won an award? Is she famous? Are there typos and is the design sloppy? Are they pestering me? Do I already follow this person online? Does music play when I visit the website? Will… -
Horizontal marketing isn't a new idea
7 Feb 2012 | 2:09 amBut it is the new reality for just about every organization. Vertical marketing means the marketer (the one with money) is in charge. Vertical marketing starts at the top and involves running ads, sending out direct mail and pushing hype through the media. Your money, your plans, your control. It might not work, but generally the worst outcome is that you will be ignored and need to spend more money. Horizonal marketing, on the other hand, means creating a remarkable product and story and setting it up to spread from person to person. It's out of your control, because all the interactions are… -
Who is your customer?
6 Feb 2012 | 2:26 amRule one: You can build a business on the foundation of great customer service. Rule two: The only way to do great customer service is to treat different customers differently. The question: Who is your customer? It's not obvious. Zappos is a classic customer service company, and their customer is the person who buys the shoes. Nike, on the other hand, doesn't care very much at all about the people who buy the shoes, or even the retailers. They care about the athletes (often famous) that wear the shoes, sometimes for money. They name buildings after these athletes, court them, erect…
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CEO Blog - Time Leadership
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Brothers Weekend - Solving the Greece Problem
5 Feb 2012 | 4:28 pmI am just back from Brothers' weekend - an Estill brother tradition for 20 plus years. It was a great weekend (although we still miss my brother Mark). I find on brothers' weekends I often laugh more in a short weekend than I do in a month.The weekend was held at my youngest brother, Lyle's house in North Carolina.At first I was honoured to be invited to help solve the Greece problem but when I arrived I found out it was a grease problem (my brother Lyle owns a Biodiesel plant).Busy weekend. I helped Lyle deliver a truckload of biodiesel (well, perhaps not helped but road shotgun). We kayaked… -
The See Do Time Management System
3 Feb 2012 | 3:53 amLately I have been using a slightly different time management technique which I call the "See Do" method. As the word implies, I see it and I do it.This method works great for keeping things clean and tidy. See a spot, wipe it. See something out of place, put it away.In email. I get an email and deal with it. Previously I had often used a 2 minute rule. If I could deal with it in less than 2 minutes I would but leave the longer ones. And during busy times, I would reduce that to a minute or less.The see do method helps reduce stress and that nagging feeling there is something still ahead to… -
YPO in Panama
30 Jan 2012 | 3:06 pmI am just back from a YPO event in Panama. I had never been there. Interesting country.If I were to invest in Latin America (and I do not - lots of business close to home), Panama would be my choice. They have only 3.5 million people and have a canal that delivers $3.6 Billion in revenue which keeps the economy stimulated. And the Billion in profit goes to pay for education and other government services.And Panama signed a neutrality pact which means they cannot have any navy or military so there is no tax to fund that.Only downfall might be the differences in income from lower to upper class… -
Simple Works
24 Jan 2012 | 5:55 amA friend emailed me the following (although as a brevity guy, I slightly edited it):A toothpaste factory had a problem: they sometimes shipped empty boxes, without the tube inside. This was due to the way the production line was set up, and people with experience in designing production lines will tell you how difficult it is to have everything happen with timings so precise that every single unit coming out of it is perfect 100% of the time. Understanding how important that was, the CEO of the toothpaste factory got the top people in the company together and they decided to start a new… -
Management Tips
23 Jan 2012 | 3:53 amWe finally got a bit of snow. It is beautiful. And grandson Josh continues to flourish. He does quite an ab workout (I tried doing it). Lying on his back and kicking his feet and hands. It is tough.I read a neat little book by Harvard Business Review that is just called Management Tips. It is divided into 3 sections - Managing Yourself, Managing Your Team and Managing Your Business. Each page is a short stand alone tip. There are about 200 tips. An example:"Be Confident But Not Really Sure.One of the keys to effective decision making is confidence. Even if you only have temporary convictions,…
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Three Star Leadership Blog
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The Computer Virus and Human Nature
9 Feb 2012 | 1:01 pmSubscribe to the Three Star Leadership Blog Working Supervisor's Support Kit A collection of tools and information that will help you do a better job as a boss. Contact Wally about coaching, consulting, or speaking to your group. It was a Tuesday morning like most others. I had finished a writing session and was preparing for a session with a client about his book when it happened. First there was a message that screamed that something was wrong with my computer. Minutes later I realized I had allowed a virus to infect it. Now, understand that I am not a novice computer… -
Boss's Tip of the Day: Pay attention
9 Feb 2012 | 7:25 amSubscribe to the Three Star Leadership Blog Working Supervisor's Support Kit A collection of tools and information that will help you do a better job as a boss. Contact Wally about coaching, consulting, or speaking to your group. If you're a boss, you know that every day is a challenge to do better. This tip is based on the same research I used to develop my programs and the Working Supervisor's Support Kit . Pay attention Pay attention when a team member wants to talk to you. Look at them, not a screen. Shut down any distracting sounds. Then have a conversation. The… -
2/8/12: A Midweek Look at the Independent Business Blogs
8 Feb 2012 | 1:01 pmSubscribe to the Three Star Leadership Blog Working Supervisor's Support Kit A collection of tools and information that will help you do a better job as a boss. Contact Wally about coaching, consulting, or speaking to your group. Independent business blogs are blogs that aren't supported by an organization like a magazine, newspaper, company, or business school. Those people provide lots of great content, but they don't need any additional exposure. In this post, every week, I bring you posts of quality from excellent bloggers that don't get as much publicity. This… -
Boss's Tip of the Day: Results count
8 Feb 2012 | 7:25 amSubscribe to the Three Star Leadership Blog Working Supervisor's Support Kit A collection of tools and information that will help you do a better job as a boss. Contact Wally about coaching, consulting, or speaking to your group. If you're a boss, you know that every day is a challenge to do better. This tip is based on the same research I used to develop my programs and the Working Supervisor's Support Kit . Results count In the hectic world where you work it's easy to get sidetracked and concentrate on things that don't make much of a difference. Look at the end of… -
2/7/12: By and About Leaders
7 Feb 2012 | 3:38 pmSubscribe to the Three Star Leadership Blog Working Supervisor's Support Kit A collection of tools and information that will help you do a better job as a boss. Contact Wally about coaching, consulting, or speaking to your group. I think that one of the best ways to learn leadership isn't studying "leadership" at all. Instead, study individual leaders in their natural habitat and decide what they do that you want to try. That's why, every week, I bring you a selection of posts by and about individual leaders. This week I'm pointing you to posts by and about Georgia…
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Management Craft
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Don't Worry Yourself With Others - #doyourjob #management
6 Feb 2012 | 6:34 amI am one of those folks who watch the super bowl for the entertainment, not the football. Not just the ads and half-time show, but also the stories of triumph and beating the odds. During yesterday's telecast, I was struck by the interview with soon-to-be MVP Eli Manning who said that his coach encouraged players to "do their jobs." The point he was making was that each player had a role and needed to focus on executing his role, not worrying about what others were doing or playing armchair quarterback/running back/tight end/kicker/and so on. Team members need to own their jobs and trust… -
Love this #ted talk from Shawn Achor - Will help you be happier.
1 Feb 2012 | 12:44 pmCheck out this supercharged and amusing talk from Shawn Achor - it is excellent and has the potential to help us all live more fulfilling - and successful - lives. 12 minutes. -
Action and Mental Garbage Model
30 Jan 2012 | 12:17 pmI hope you have a great week. Here is a quick model that I hope helps you shape your week. You choose the path and how many self-imposed barriers you allow to slow you down. Openness - versus defensiveness - enables us to fully trust in ourselves because we take in the world fully and can respond flexibly. When we carry a lot of mental garbage, we rely more on history that might not be relevant for today, inflexible mental models, manic mantras, and motivational posters to guide us. Why do we need to list our values? Answer: Because we are not open enough to fully trust ourselves. -
I saw the master in action this weekend. #leadership #managment
22 Jan 2012 | 9:41 amI spent an afternoon with a dear friend yesterday. We chatted over lunch and walked around his beach town. I have always admired his engaging and caring way - he is a leader who makes others feel like they have his full attention and consideration and they do (that's the important part - it is sincere, not an act). Why? Because he thinks and lives this way. He notices people and things and takes the initiative to be helpful and caring. More so than most people. More so than I do - by a long shot. I have always known this about my friend but I was reminded - in a vivid way - during our walk. -
What's Your Big Idea? How Many Can You Generate? #management #innovation
17 Jan 2012 | 2:36 pmThis post is inspired by four thoughts coming together. 1. A few years ago I pitched a book idea to Berrett-Koehler's President, Steve Piersanti. He passed on the book because the idea was unremarkable. He asked, "what's your big idea?" And he said, "I don't see it here." He was right, BTW. 2. A mentor of mine was trying to help me lower my expectations for a project that was frustrating me by suggesting that, "most people have only one revolutionary idea in their lifetime." He was wrong, BTW. 3. I was reviewing a piece of writing for a friend. He took a perfectly logical approach to laying…
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Business Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen Shapiro
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Be Your Own Fan
6 Feb 2012 | 3:15 pmBusiness Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen ShapiroIt is the Monday after the Superbowl. While scanning the TV stations and flipping through the radio channels this morning, it seemed as though everyone was discussing and analyzing (and analyzing and analyzing…) the football game. Everyone is a Monday morning quarterback. Come on, get a life! Stop living your life through someone else. Tom [...] -
Strategic Partnership with Linkage
2 Feb 2012 | 4:12 pmBusiness Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen ShapiroPress Release… Stephen M. Shapiro Joins Linkage in Elite Partnership Business Consultant to Bring Methodology on Innovative Culture to Linkage’s Clients Burlington, MA (PRWEB) February 02, 2012 Linkage, a global leadership development company, announced its partnership with innovation guru Stephen M. Shapiro. Mr. Shapiro has consulted with Fortune 500 corporations for nearly 20 years on [...] -
Goals Are Stupid
1 Feb 2012 | 8:16 amBusiness Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen ShapiroNOTE: This article is on the American Express OPEN Forum with the title “How to Make Goal-Setting Work for You.” But the title I really wanted was “Goals Are Stupid.” I’ll let you decide if they are or not. We are a society obsessed with goals. Nearly everyone sets them. In fact, we just finished [...] -
How Candy Makers Helped Develop the iMac
31 Jan 2012 | 2:51 pmBusiness Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen ShapiroI love it when companies are able to find solutions to problems in non-traditional places. I was recently at a conference where someone said that Apple was having difficulty making the clear, colored plastic that adorns the iMac. None of the plastic manufacturers could find a solution that could make the product hard and durable [...] -
Lessons of Pawn Stars
23 Jan 2012 | 9:24 amBusiness Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen ShapiroYes, you read that correctly. PAWN Stars. This reality television show on The History Channel chronicles a pawn shop outside of Las Vegas. I enjoy the show because of the history associated with the pieces that are brought in for sale. In addition to rifles from the revolutionary war and antique political documents, people bring [...]
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The Recovering Leader
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Effective Team Meetings: Subtracting Bad Behaviors
9 Feb 2012 | 6:27 amIf you’re like most people at work, you probably wish you spent less time in meetings. I remember as a COO, my colleagues and I used to estimate the cost per minute of the aggregate salaries around the table in “leadership team meetings” and wish we could spend the money on something more worthwhile. Yet search the web for “effective meetings” and you get overkill: 9.4 million helpful ideas, along with everyone’s favorite book or article about it. Based on my experience as an executive and coach, I approach it a bit differently. I propose there are seven “faces” or patterns of… -
Self-test: Doing and Being at Your Best at Work
30 Jan 2012 | 2:43 pmAre you doing your best work and happy at work, most days? Here’s a tool I use with some executive clients to self-assess what may be standing in the way of being at their best and happiest at work, and what to do about it. Take a look at the graphic below and place yourself in the square that reflects the level of work you are doing, and how happy you are most days at work. Find your “number” and read the corresponding self-coaching suggestions, below. Square One: Definitely time for a change You know, or have known for a while that you need to make a change. What will help you do… -
Three Key Principles of Believe-In-You Leadership
11 Jan 2012 | 8:34 pmNever has there been a more important time for leaders of organizations, communities, and governments to believe in their people—for each of us to believe in each other. That’s the world I want to live in, and the organization I want to do business with. Yet it's in major short supply. People in organizations and communities around the world are yearning to do their best work. What's getting in the way? They simply can’t be at their best when operating with fear, amplified by their leader’s directives, advice, withholding, stoicism and skepticism—by being discounted or treated as… -
Recovering Our Leadership: Seven Intentions for 2012
2 Jan 2012 | 10:08 amHappy New Year! While no one knows what 2012 has up its sleeve, based on my own post-executive experience working with leaders across industries over the last eight years, no one doubts it’s time for a positive “pivot.” My hope is that will include a new sense of executive responsibility when it comes to humanism, collectivism, and capitalism with care for ethics and fairness. This, I believe, is the net / net of what protestors are saying, and it will continue to grow in resonance. Along those lines, and in keeping with my commitment to practice principles of recovery in all my… -
Leadership and Resetting a Tough Day
28 Nov 2011 | 2:46 pmThe best of the best athletes, scientists, soloist musicians, and executives alike can find themselves dwelling on a snag or difficult situation, as if getting taken hostage by it. If left unchecked, it can get in the way of what could be a good day. Whether you've had something (or someone) turn your day upside down, are stymied by a problem, or feeling overwhelmed, noticing it in real time is key. Once you see you're stuck in an unwanted "loop," you'll need to step away from it to solve it rapidly. As soon as possible, get up and walk out on whatever you're doing for a ten-minute break (and…
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Learn This
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Making Goal Setting Work for You
1 Feb 2012 | 11:00 pmI am happy to have another guest post by Jesse this week, who has posted previously a great article here at LearnThis.ca, Finding Happiness in Authenticity. This time, Jesse writes a new guest post on goal setting. Goal setting has always been a favorite topic of mine so its great to have a new perspective on it and it can never be encourage enough to anyone interested in personal development. Goal setting is a critical factor to success and is something everyone should be actively doing on a regular basis. So, it’s a great article and I encourage you to please add your comments… -
Coaching in the Workplace
20 Jan 2012 | 1:17 amWorking as a manager or leader in any workplace leaves a lot of room to influence other people. And shouldn’t that include then some specific coaching and discussion to help others improve their role and work results? I certainly think so and I also think that every person in a leadership or supervising role should be expected to learn about coaching in the workplace. If coaching were better understood and used on a regular basis, the results of whole teams and companies could be drastically improved given some time. Coaching in the workplace is something I’ve practiced for… -
Book Review: The Case For Faith
14 Jan 2012 | 12:01 pmA Six-Session Investigation of the Toughest Objections to Christianity Buy the AudioCD at Amazon Author: Lee Strobel and Garry Poole I know not everyone is interested in spiritual books so link ahead to other categories or articles here if you don’t care to explore what could be a way to discover new meaning and purpose in your life. I’ve read several books by C.S. Lewis recently which I really enjoyed, like The Screwtape Letters, The Abolition of Man, and The Great Divorce. The screwtape letters were wonderful and insightful in a sad and scary way while the other two were… -
Resources Jan 2011
8 Jan 2012 | 7:57 amIt’s been a few months since I’ve shared another resource list so I’ve got a great round up for you, which hopefully you haven’t seen many of these. Articles I have my share of 100 lists and this is another great one: 100 Ways for Your Family to Make a Difference I wonderful response and article based on Gilbert’s Stumbling on Happiness. This one is called Futile Pursuit Here is an article sent to me about inspiring elderly learners, who believe learning is worthwhile, no matter what their age. 50 Ways to Show Gratitude for the People in Your Life, gratitude… -
How to Be More Present
18 Dec 2011 | 6:49 pmDuring a book study recently, I had a question or comment from my pastor that really struck a nerve and it left me thinking about it for a while. It was along the lines of “How do you learn to be more present in everyday life?” It was a question that I certainly have never really spent much time thinking about it. I have some of my habits and behaviors that help me stay as present as I do and some of those may be obvious and some not. I also likely have a number of things that have developed out of those habits that I may not have ever really thought about before. And of…
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The In Context Blog
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Of Tangible Creations and the Transfer of Expertise
7 Feb 2012 | 11:09 pmUPDATE: Welcome readers of JD Bentley’s blog. Feel free to take a look around. I have just discovered JD Bentley (via Patrick Rhone) and read a post on his site that I simply must comment on: The Web Worker’s Dilemma The life of a web worker is in many ways very blessed. The ability to dictate your location, your deadlines and your work hours is an occupational rarity, yet we exercise the privilege daily. Some of us earn full-time incomes on fourteen hours a day, others two hours a week. Most web workers, having wished and worked their careers into… -
Weekly Letter – Avoid the “There’s no There There” Syndrome
7 Feb 2012 | 3:22 amCreating a Special Offer to bring in new customers can be a challenge. Are you enlisting your current customers for assistance? I recently took some time to peruse an inspirational book, “101 Things I learned in Architecture School“, which has brilliant anecdotes that can be applied to your life and business outside of the architectural context. The quote that struck me was: “If you wish to imbue an architectural space or element with a particular quality, make sure that quality is really there.” The author uses the examples of making sure that a wall needs to be thick… -
New Issue of Productive! Magazine
7 Feb 2012 | 3:20 amMichael Sliwinksi presents the latest issue of Productive! Magazine. As you know, we’re very committed to your productivity and this year we’re going to help you get a lot more done! We’ve got new, official desktop app coming this month, HTML5 mobile web version and more… But meantime I encourage you to take a moment and read something that will inspire you to put your New Year’s Resolutions in order for the 2012 – read the newest issue of our free Productive! Magazine (#11 with Gretchen Rubin): I have been a contributor to this magazine in the past and it is always worth reading. -
Who Has Time for Blogging?
5 Feb 2012 | 11:52 pmHoo, boy. Blogging Is Dead… Here We Go Again | By Mitch Joel at Twist Image Blogging is not dead. Blogging is only dead if you’re a brand trying to use a Blog as an extension of your advertising or as a way to attempt to control your corporate messaging by using it to humanize the tone. For the rest of us, a Blog is freedom of expression. It’s a place where people (and yes, this includes the people who make up the brand) share, engage and connect with one another. I’m not jaded (or stupid). I know that people would much prefer to tweet or update a Facebook page or… -
Friday Morning Zen
3 Feb 2012 | 12:21 amAs the fletcher whittles and makes straight his arrows, so the master directs his straying thoughts. February Subscriber Special Suggest a topic for the Monthly Letter for March and get a chance to win a free month's subscription! Just hit reply and tell me what you need to know for your personal or professional growth!I publish a Weekly Letter and a Monthly Letter on a paid subscription basis. The Weekly Letter covers topics such as: How you can use Social Media today to get more business Productivity practices that make you more effective The Monthly Letter is less than a full-scale…
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Stepcase Lifehack
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Why Joy Can Be Your Enemy
9 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amIn previous posts, I discussed why the so-called “negative” emotions of anger, shame, sadness, and fear are actually good friends and guides. In this post, I am going to close the loop on this project by outlining why joy, a “positive” emotion, can be your enemy. How can this be? How can joy cause trouble? What’s wrong with feeling good? Well, nothing, of course. Except that the pursuit of joy (and the fear of losing joy) can distract us from creating long-term happiness and fulfillment. And it can even bring about circumstances that cause tremendous suffering. -
How to Consume Your Digital Information More Efficiently
9 Feb 2012 | 3:30 amAs the amount of information that is potentially important to us continues to grow, it’s now more vital than ever to be able to process and consume it more efficiently. Here are some tactics to help you become more efficient with your time and information processing. RSS and keeping up with headlines If you aren’t an RSS user, you should be. It’s an excellent way to become efficient with your time and a good way to get through a bunch of information to find the important stuff quickly. Only subscribe to sites that inform you directly or entertain you. According to Clay Johnson in his… -
Six Sizzling Suggestions to Make Valentine’s Day Last All Year
8 Feb 2012 | 5:13 pmIt’s that month again. Does your heart leap at the prospect of astonishing your partner with a date that will set their world on fire? I didn’t think so. All that pressure to be romantic focussed on one little day can feel like more of a burden than anything else. You can sulk all you want but declaring that you don’t believe in the whole consumerist conspiracy rarely gets you off the hook unless your beloved shares that same philosophy. It is possible that you are so romantic all year round that your partner feels sorry for the poor schmucks who are waiting for their annual dose of… -
A Get Out of Debt Strategy That Works
8 Feb 2012 | 11:03 amYou’ve decided this is the year you’re going to get out of debt once and for all. You’re committed, you’re determined, now the only thing you need is a plan. There are many plans for debt reduction, but they all generally include the same elements. Debt accumulates over time for a variety of reasons. So, it is expected that time will be required to reduce that debt as well. Be patient and take it one step at a time…you’ll see results. Get a clear picture You have to understand the reality of your indebtedness. It’s impossible to make a plan to reduce debt if you don’t know… -
Why You Should Learn a Daily Lesson
8 Feb 2012 | 3:00 am“There is divine beauty in learning… To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps.” – Elie Wiesel “What did you learn in school today?” is one of most common questions asked by parents to their children every day after school. Yet many people go through life without ever asking what they learned each day. Being mindful of learning daily lessons allows us to be open to change and growth. We think of school as the place where people learn, but really life itself is the far…
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"positive psychology" - Google News
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Cancer Support Community - Atlanta, GA - Dunwoody Crier
6 Feb 2012 | 2:08 amCancer Support Community - Atlanta, GADunwoody CrierPositive Psychology – What we've learned about the “How” of Happiness. Positive psychology is the study of what goes right in ... Heritage Sandy Springs is proud to celebrate Georgia History Month in the Heritage Sandy Springs Museum during the month -
Positive psychology: the psychology of happiness - The Independent Florida Alligator (blog)
5 Feb 2012 | 9:27 pmPositive psychology: the psychology of happinessThe Independent Florida Alligator (blog)Positive psychology is a relatively new field of research that is growing increasingly popular among the psychological world. Unlike every other field of psychology, this field is dedicated not to what's wrong with the brain but to what you can do to -
Smiling is good for you - and an area of scientific study by some seriously ... - San Jose Mercury News
5 Feb 2012 | 8:24 amSmiling is good for you - and an area of scientific study by some seriously San Jose Mercury NewsThe university is expanding the course from five to 10 weeks, while the department of pediatrics offers "Positive Psychology: The Pursuit of Happiness" -- an academic approach to making babies gurgle and coo. "It's innate in us" as human beings, and more » -
You Have More Power than You Think: How to Change the World One Small Step at ... - PsychCentral.com (blog)
4 Feb 2012 | 2:22 pmYou Have More Power than You Think: How to Change the World One Small Step at PsychCentral.com (blog)By Joe Wilner I know the title of this post seems lofty and quixotic, but when you think about it, changing the world and making it a better place doesn't have to be as grandiose as people may think. It's easy to believe we don't have the influence and -
Perma Cola - Economic Times
3 Feb 2012 | 12:33 pmPerma ColaEconomic TimesMartin Seligman, the father of the positive psychology movement in America, believes that 'movies are a form of soma'. In an NYTinterview, he was alluding to the idea of films as an uplifting drug, something that Karl Marx had earlier extended to
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I Will Teach You To Be Rich
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Where I’ve been for the last two weeks
7 Feb 2012 | 8:11 amAfter a month of hyper consumption of caffeine, sleeping 4 hours/night, and a team around the world that outperformed any team I’ve ever worked with, the Dream Job launch is complete. Here’s a PDF with 50+ pages of uncensored feedback from new Dream Job students talking about why they joined my new course on finding your Dream Job: “Why I joined Dream Job” (PDF, no opt-in required). The course was an instant IWT bestseller, and it’s closed to new students now. Soon, I’ll share some of the marketing lessons behind the launch. I’m doing my traditional… -
What I think of information addicts
22 Jan 2012 | 7:04 pmI’ve spent a lot of time thinking about giving away free material vs. charging for it. Here’s a recent 1-hour interview where I talk about free vs. paid material, including how I went from charging $4.95 for my first ebook to $12,000 for my most recent course. I also did another interview on the psychology of monetization, too, where I cover more academic psychological and marketing theory. This is for the true psychology/marketing nerds, so I reveal some gems that only they would appreciate. Based on the kinds of emails I get, I assume about 80% of you are huge huge nerds. So, let’s… -
What The Pros Know About Networking That You Don’t
20 Jan 2012 | 9:57 amWhen I was on the Today Show a couple years ago, I sat down to prep a few minutes before air time. About 45 seconds before we went live, Meredith Viera came onto set. She took one look at the topic sheet, then reached out to shake all of our hands. In the next 30 seconds, she asked a couple questions to get to know us, and then we started the segment. What was fascinating was that, within those 30 seconds, she was so personable that we instantly felt a connection to her (“Wow, she’s so friendly!”). And I realized that the masters — like the world’s top TV anchors, politicians,… -
How to use Natural Networking to connect with anyone — including the exact email scripts
18 Jan 2012 | 8:36 amHow many of us have heard career experts telling us to “go out there and network”? What does that actually mean? They never seem to specify. So we end up going to 1 or 2 pointless networking events, which actually turn out to be a bunch of unemployed people looking for jobs, until we realize the pointlessness of random networking. We stop going. But we keep hearing about the importance of our network, and we hear about how most jobs are found through personal contacts. Pretty soon, it becomes clear to us that it’s WHO you know, not WHAT you know. But we have no idea how to actually turn… -
How to write a resume that wins
17 Jan 2012 | 10:31 amLast night, 3,000+ IWT readers from all over the world tuned in, live, to learn the inside techniques to craft a winning resume. These are the same techniques I used to get jobs at Google, Intuit, and many other companies. Attention jackasses: These are not my curtains. I’m not 78 years old. I was at a hotel. I had nothing to sell. I just wanted to show people that — instead of blaming the economy, or believing that “I don’t have enough experience” is a valid excuse — they could take their Dream Job search into their own hands. Here’s what attendees had to say:…
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Free Money Finance
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Americans Woefully Unprepared for Retirement
9 Feb 2012 | 12:45 pmUS News offers some thoughts on preparing for retirement. But it's not the advice I want to focus on. Instead I want to comment on these facts from a Charles Schwab retirement income survey: According to the study, 64 percent of respondents indicated they had less than one year of cash living expenses saved for retirement, and one-third of respondents said they had not even determined what their essential living expenses in retirement would be.This study wouldn’t be so overly alarming except for the fact that the respondents were just five years away from retirement. Those five years still… -
Compute Your Net Worth Once a Year
9 Feb 2012 | 7:45 amThe following is a guest post from Marotta Wealth Management. I actually compute my net worth once a month. I'll be discussing my year-end 2011 net worth soon on an upcoming post.Since the end of last year, the U.S. markets went up and then down and then back up to end the year sideways. Market volatility was especially pronounced in the European Union as sovereign debt and the struggle to enact austerity measures whipsawed the markets, although not as a result of any changes in the underlying fundamentals.If you are within 20 years of retirement (age 45 to 65), it's critical to get your… -
Comments on This Blog
9 Feb 2012 | 5:04 amI have received several emails lately from FMF readers who have tried to leave comments. In many cases, they seemingly posted the comments only to have them disappear. I have been working with Typepad (my blog software and host) to try and determine what the problem is, but they can't seem to crack it.The situation is made worse by the fact that there seems to be no pattern to the problem. It's not like all comments are blocked as I have had hundreds of comments left over the past week. Just some seem to get caught and lost somehow. If you've had this problem, please send me an email with a… -
How Much Do You Spend on Kids' Birthday Parties?
9 Feb 2012 | 1:29 amUS News gives some alternatives to pricey kids' birthday parties. This piece made me wonder -- just how much do people spend on birthday parties for their kids? We have some friends that go totally overboard and others that seem to pass them by without much fanfare. Here's what we do: Each of our kids gets $100 for his/her birthday. They decide what they want to do with the $100 -- have a party, get presents, or pocket the cash. Over the years, we've had all of the scenarios accepted. The current favorite appears to be "pocket the cash." No matter which option is selected, we make the… -
Tricky Tactics by Mutual Funds
8 Feb 2012 | 12:45 pmWe've talked a lot about index fund investing and, specifically, how they beat most actively managed funds over a long period of time once costs are deducted from returns. As well as they do, Wise Bread thinks index funds probably beat more actively managed funds than is generally accepted because of some tricky tactics by those other funds. Their summary: Most funds try to compare themselves to the S&P 500, but many of them cite the performance of the index itself instead of the performance of the index plus the dividend that the 500 companies in the S&P 500 distribute. The current…
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Money Crashers
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7 Small Business Ideas for Teenagers & Kids
9 Feb 2012 | 12:20 pmSince the recession hit, many adults bemoan the tough job market, and with good reason: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the current unemployment rate hovers around 8.3% – and that doesn’t count those who are underemployed. What many people do not consider, however, are teenagers. Today’s teens now have to compete for entry-level [...]7 Small Business Ideas for Teenagers & Kids is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog. -
How to Become a Lifeguard – Training, Certification & Jobs
9 Feb 2012 | 11:20 amWhen you hear the term “lifeguard,” you probably conjure up one of two visions: 1. the not-quite-mature high school kids at your local swimming pool, or 2. the beach babes from “Baywatch.” The reality of a part-time lifeguard job is a little different than the reputations that precede it, and if you’re willing to consider [...]How to Become a Lifeguard – Training, Certification & Jobs is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog. -
What Is Deflation – Definition, Causes & Effects
9 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amMany people accept inflation as a fact of life. However, under certain economic situations, the opposite phenomenon actually takes place, and is known as “deflation.” Deflation is the reduction of prices of goods, and although deflation may seem like a good thing when you’re standing at the checkout counter, it’s not. Rather, deflation is an indication [...]What Is Deflation – Definition, Causes & Effects is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog. -
How to Barter for Goods & Services – Tips and Methods to Trade
8 Feb 2012 | 1:05 pmHave you ever had an item sitting in your home that’s just too good to discard, but you know you’ll never use it again? You can turn an old possession into something new by bartering. Bartering is the process of obtaining goods or services by direct exchange without the use of currency. In times of [...]How to Barter for Goods & Services – Tips and Methods to Trade is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog. -
Top 10 Female CEOs & Influential Business Women of American Companies
8 Feb 2012 | 9:40 amMargaret Thatcher once famously said, “If you want anything said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.” Neuroscientists have reported that there are innate differences in the way men and women think, but that doesn’t mean men make better leaders, despite the fact that more men have secured top leadership positions. [...]Top 10 Female CEOs & Influential Business Women of American Companies is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.
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Rich Credit Debt Loan
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Comparing Life Insurance Policies pt 3
9 Feb 2012 | 1:09 pmSpeaking of Universal Life Insurance… What are the disadvantages of this type of insurance? Universal life insurance is generally much more expensive in comparison to term life insurance options. While some of these added costs are going to be going into your account in the form of a cash value component, the rates that you are going to be earning on that money may not necessarily be netting you the best possible rates of interest. This is the reason why so many financial professionals end up recommending that you buy term life insurance and simply invest whatever difference there is. What… -
How to Get Out of Trouble in the Real Estate Market
9 Feb 2012 | 12:52 amIf you invested in the real estate market recently and are now regretting that decision, there are a few ways that you can get out of financial trouble. For awhile, the real estate market was very solid and property values were going up. Many experts advised investing heavily in real estate, seemingly forgetting to take into consideration that the ride couldn’t last for long. This means that thousands, if not millions of people, are now wondering how they can get out of the real estate market and salvage at least some of their investment. First, it is important to see if you really do need… -
WSJ Complete Personal Finance Guidebook By Jeff Opdyke
8 Feb 2012 | 12:49 pmWhen it comes to a trusted source for financial news and information, it’s hard to beat the Wall Street Journal. They have introduced a line of guidebooks on many financial topics, but for this review we’ll be taking a look at their Personal Finance guidebook. While it may be a little simplistic for the financial whiz, it is certainly a must-read for those that are still struggling with their personal finance issues, or just starting out in the world. It should be noted that there is a companion book to this title, called the The Wall Street Journal. Personal Finance Workbook. We highly… -
Review of Stop Sitting On Your Assets
8 Feb 2012 | 12:36 amMarian Snow’s book had a lot of promise. First, it discusses equity harvesting and how to get the maximum amount of equity out of your home without being taxed on it. Second, it discusses how to use that money to make more money. Sounds great on the surface, but this book failed to deliver and ended up being a major disappointment. The subtitle: How to Safely Leverage the Equity Trapped in Your Home and Transform It Into a Constant Flow of Wealth and Security seems a bit macabre now, in the wake of the housing crisis and one wonders how many people are regretting that they ever picked this… -
What You Need to Know Before Buying a Foreclosed Property
7 Feb 2012 | 12:23 pmAs housing prices keep falling, many people are considering getting into the property market like never before. If you are looking for an investment property, now is certainly the time to strongly consider your options. However, before you get in over your head, there are a few things you need to know about foreclosed property. First, it is a good idea to figure out how you plan to use the property. Since the rental market is booming right now, we’re going to focus on that for this particular article. Most of the tips will also apply if you are planning on purchasing a property for resale.
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TheBloggess.com
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And that’s why I can’t get any work done. That and the fact that Doctor Who is on.
9 Feb 2012 | 10:13 amA picture of my (previously abandoned) office immediately after I start blogging: All the cats in the house, present and fucking shit up. Each trying to typing as soon as I type. Sitting on the escape key. Screechy cat fights erupt behind computer within seconds of a good idea. UNWORKABLE. And that’s why I’m not working for the rest of the week. Because none of these cats understands how important my job is. And also because I really want to watch Doctor Who. And because I’m tired and sort of whiney. And because I’m going to see my parents for a few days so I… -
Robot tigers or Robobcats? I’m leaning toward the latter simply because they’d be easier to put in your carry-on luggage.
7 Feb 2012 | 6:25 amVictor: One day I’m going to finish my robot tigers and we will rule the world. me: It’d be easier if you just took over the world with real tigers. Victor: Robot tigers are scarier than real tigers. me: No. Real tigers are scarier because they’re unpredictable. Victor: My robot tigers have a random setting. me: Like a shuffle function on an iPod? Victor: Exactly. me: That is way scarier. Victor: Plus they could beat you at chess. me: Well, not me specifically. I’m pretty damn good at chess. Victor: Not as good as a robot tiger. me: Live tigers are… -
This candle-stick needs an intervention.
4 Feb 2012 | 6:46 pmConversation I had with a shopkeeper at a resale shop today: me: Can you go any lower on the candle-holder in the back room? her: No, it’s in really good shape. me: Yes, but looks like it has erectile dysfunction. her: Oh. Well, it gets hot in here in the summer. But the candelabra is still very nice. me: It looks like it’s very disappointed to see me, and possibly needs to be medicated. her: Um…? me: I think your candlestick holder is clinical depressed. her: What? me: I think I need to have an intervention. With your candle-holder. her: … me: I… -
UPDATED X 2: Lost in translation
1 Feb 2012 | 4:29 pmVictor: What are you doing? me: Making stuff for my store. It helps me break my writer’s block. Victor: Who’s gonna buy a mug that says “I love to go down”? Are you making mugs for hookers again? me: What? I don’t have a mug that says that. Victor: Uh, yeah, you do. It’s right there. me: That’s a guy on a slide. It means “I love slides.” Because I do. Because they’re whimsical. The fuck, Victor? Not everything is about sex. Victor: That’s not a slide. It’s an escalator. That’s the… -
The end. And the beginning
31 Jan 2012 | 12:26 pmI know I said I was going to give away five red ball gowns as part of the #travelingreddress project, but I am a tremendous liar who can’t be trusted. That’s why instead today I’ll be mailing out nine red ball dresses to women around the world. The tenth will be just as beautiful, but will be smaller and hopefully a bit more magical, as it will be going to Alice: Amazing pictures already pouring in from women across the globe in their red dresses. In fact, some have improvised using just a few yards of material to make amazing portraits. Ball gowns are flying across the…
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Top News
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Download a Copy of The Pirate Bay, It’s Only 90 MB
9 Feb 2012 | 4:11 amSoon The Pirate Bay will stop linking to .torrent files. Instead, the world's largest BitTorrent site will only list so-called magnet links. One of the advantages of the switch is that The Pirate Bay will be much more portable, and easier to copy. A new torrent listing all titles and magnet links on The Pirate Bay proves this point, as the public can download a copy that fits easily on a small USB stick - or even a few dozen floppies. -
10 Most Incredible Airplane Graveyards on Earth [Pics]
8 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmTen incredible airplane boneyards – the places where old military planes and airliners alike go to die... -
I'm bad ... but not that bad: thief goes straight after finding child porn
8 Feb 2012 | 12:47 pmI'm bad ... but not that bad: thief goes straight after finding child porn -
Watch: Rescued Dog Bites News Anchor on Live TV
8 Feb 2012 | 1:46 pmA veteran Denver morning news anchor got more bite than she bargained for in her coverage of an uplifting story of a dog rescued from a frozen reservoir after the dog bit her on the lip, live on air. -
xkcd: 2012
8 Feb 2012 | 9:08 pm
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Dumb Little Man - Tips for Life
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5 Myths Haunting Your Healthy Foods
3 Feb 2012 | 8:03 amThese days, eating healthy has become a curiously difficult task. Despite the fact that the canons of healthy eating have not changed in centuries, the proliferation of health food products has continued unabated for years. It’s become a crisis of abundance.However, just because a product occupies shelf space in a boutique food store doesn’t mean it’s any better for you than its generic counterpart. Advertisers are very aware of the powers of “mood affiliation”, which is the tendency to associate familiar claims with one another. For example, consumers are very likely to believe a… -
Four Steps To Rescue Stray New Year Resolutions
2 Feb 2012 | 6:55 amLooks like it is that time of year when many New Year resolutions that people set have already strayed. Attempts to kick a smoking habit for example, might have seemed successful for a few weeks but once the realities and stresses of coming back from the holidays have resurfaced, some people may have caved into the nicotine again.Of course there is the usual health promises that get broken too. According to the fitness industry, a lot of gym memberships are sold from December to February but gym attendance significantly drops shortly afterwards when people realize that working out involves a… -
Finding the Courage to Stay the Course
30 Jan 2012 | 10:06 amAnytime you decide on the pursuit of an important goal, you’ll be faced with a series of challenges. Peaks, valleys and plateaus are par for the the course. But the thing that separates the people who make it from the ones that don’t is the courage to stay the course.At the start of any new endeavor most of us look forward to every single day with a child like excitement. We see infinite possibilities and the future appears bright. It seems as though there is absolutely nothing that can get in our way. We feel almost invincible and the possibility of failure doesn’t even occur to us. We… -
How to Deal with Difficult People and Have Constructive Conflict
28 Jan 2012 | 8:32 amLife and relationships aren't always perfect. Take a minute to think of some difficult people you have to deal with in your life? These may be people you work with, the in-laws that come to town throughout the year, or your neighbor who can’t seem to take a hint. For whatever reason, you're just not jiving with these people.Do you flee? Or, do you get flexible and learn to interact?When we encounter these extreme personalities it can feel like they are trying to make our life miserable, but more often than not, it’s simply learning about these peoples’ tendencies and how to interact in… -
7 Habits of Highly Excellent People
27 Jan 2012 | 2:16 amAre you driven in life? Do you love to excel? I believe all of us do. We are born to be the best we can be and to make the best out of our lives.When I was in high school, I wasn't exactly the kind of student teachers would like. I was truant, didn't do my homework and did badly on my examinations. I was lazy and unmotivated in school. However, after a while I realized that this wasn't who I wanted to be. This wasn't the life I saw myself leading. People around me were judging and negative, and I had enough of all of that crap. I had enough of being discriminated against and I decided to turn…
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TerryStarbucker.com
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Leverage Your Business Pulse: The 5 Day Leadership Planner
5 Feb 2012 | 12:09 pmEvery business has a natural “pulse” of activity that is designed to match the human rhythm of the calendar. Savvy leaders know how to leverage this pulse to their best advantage by properly sequencing their analysis, interaction, thinking, discussing, deciding, and doing. For them, each day of the business week has an overarching theme, designed to maximize team effectiveness: Monday: “Absorb & Process” The first day of the business week should not be spent in meetings (especially just after a weekend) – it’s a time to absorb, and then process,… -
The 200 mph Tune Up: 4 Critical Decision Filters For The Startup Leader
29 Jan 2012 | 5:26 pmOver the past year here in Portland I’ve been talking to a lot of startup leaders trying to make their fledgling businesses fly, and the image that always comes to my mind when I have these conversations is that of a race car traveling at 200 mph, and getting a tune up at the same time. It’s quite a problem these leaders face, because once the green flag is raised and the business is launched – they can’t pull their business “cars” into the pits, have some work done, and then restart – that’s precious time in the marketplace that could mean the… -
What’s The Right Stuff of Leadership? Think Dog, Turtle, and Cockroach
22 Jan 2012 | 6:42 pmGrowing up in the 60′s and 70′s I was utterly fascinated by the US Space Program, and its corps of courageous astronauts. They were my childhood heroes, and I still vividly remember that night in July of 1969 when I ran outside moments after Neil Armstrong uttered that famous “one small step” line and stared at the moon, utterly captivated by the notion that a man was walking on it at that very moment. It took a special kind of person to be an astronaut, and those distinct qualities were captured perfectly by Tom Wolfe in his famous book, “The Right… -
Execution Leadership: 12 Metrics That Must Be Measured, Monitored, and Managed….Relentlessly
15 Jan 2012 | 1:27 pmSomeone once asked me to use a single word to describe a “secret to leadership” – without hesitation, I replied, “Relentlessness” If there is one thing I learned in my nearly 25 years in the executive chair, it’s this: Leaders cannot achieve their grand visions and strategies without a relentless push to execute brilliantly. The best way to do this is with the right metrics to measure, monitor and manage. Metrics that are not necessarily the “bottom line” ones – such as Net Profit, Total Revenue, Earnings Per Share, or Total… -
9 Ways Social Media Can Make You a Better Leader (The Video)
8 Jan 2012 | 9:47 pmA few weeks ago at Portland State University’s Digital Media Conference, I was challenged to present “9 Ways Social Media Can Make You a Better Leader”, in the “Ignite” format (that’s 20 slides in 5 minutes, each one changing over every 15 seconds, whether you are ready for the change or not). It was a great experience, and thanks to PSU, I’m happy to share the result (here is the link if you don’t see the embed: http://youtu.be/yi11zeKkeuE) Lead well!
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zenhabits
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The Pause Upon Which All Else Relies
9 Feb 2012 | 7:56 amPost written by Leo Babauta. There is one little habit I’ve learned that has changed everything else in my life. The pause. When we fail, it’s because we act on urges without thinking, without realizing it. We have the urge to eat junk, and we do it. We have the urge to check email instead of writing a chapter of our book, and so we open our inbox. We have an urge to smoke, to drink, to do drugs, to chew our nails, to play a Facebook game, to procrastinate, to skip a workout, to eat more fries, to criticize, to act in jealousy or anger, to be rude … and we act on that urge. -
The Thousand Cuts Fitness Program
6 Feb 2012 | 9:43 amPost written by Leo Babauta. I’ve trained for marathons, triathlons, 10Ks, a 13.5-hour challenge, Ubanathlons, and more. But my favorite fitness program isn’t one where you train for a major event. It’s where you get fit by a thousand little actions. When the actions are tiny, they are easy. You have no excuse. You can do them anywhere, all day long. I fold fitness into my life, like blueberries into batter, and it becomes a part of the recipe, not just a topping. If you haven’t found a way to get fit, try the Thousand Cuts Fitness Program. There is nothing better for… -
The Two-Headed Beast of Successful Habit Change
2 Feb 2012 | 8:20 amEditor’s Note: This is a guest post from Tyler Tervooren of Advanced Riskology. I used to have a lot of bad habits. I still do, but I used to have a lot more. Here’s just a small sampling: I woke up late and went to bed early. I procrastinated on my most important work. I neglected my relationships. I drank too much. I bit my fingernails. I slouched a lot. I picked my nose (no joke). I bought worthless things I didn’t need. I chewed with my mouth open. I dressed like a slob. I ate tons of junk food. I could go on, but none of that’s incredibly important. What’s… -
Create the Habit of Meditation, & the Zen Habits Premium Membership
31 Jan 2012 | 2:03 pmPost written by Leo Babauta. It’s something I should have created a long time ago: the Zen Habits Premium Membership, and a mini-course that’s included with it called Create the Habit of Meditation. The membership is a monthly subscription of $19.99, but really it’s a commitment to changing your life, and the tools needed to do that. If you’ve been looking to simplify, get healthy & fit, become more effective, do work you’re passionate about, eliminate debt, find contentment, declutter, create new habits … this new program is meant to show you how to… -
Creating Silence from Chaos
27 Jan 2012 | 2:20 pmPost written by Leo Babauta. We are often afraid of silence, because its emptiness feels idle, boring, unproductive, and scary. And so we fill our lives with chaos, noise, clutter. But silence can be lovely, and therapeutic, and powerful. It can be the remedy for our stress and the habits that crush us. If we want quiet in our lives, how do we create it? I’ve been exploring this myself. As a father of six kids, I have to admit that I don’t always have silence in my life. That’s not a complaint — I love the messy noise that my family brings — but silence can be a…
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Marc and Angel Hack Life
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12 Relationship Truths We Often Forget
8 Feb 2012 | 8:20 amIt’s easy to make your relationships more complicated than they are. Here are twelve simple reminders to help you keep them on course. All successful relationships require some work. – They don’t just happen, or maintain themselves. They exist and thrive when the parties involved take the risk of sharing what it is that’s going on in their minds and hearts. Open communication and honesty is the key. (Read The Road Less Traveled.) Most of the time you get what you put in. – If you want love, give love. If you want friends, be friendly. If you’d like to feel understood,… -
99 Tiny Stories to Make You Think, Smile and Cry
5 Feb 2012 | 9:11 amSometimes the most random everyday encounters force us to stop and rethink the truths and perceptions we have ingrained in our minds. These encounters are educationally priceless. They spawn moments of deep thought and self-reflection that challenge the status quo and help us evolve as sensible individuals. Below you will find a selection of 99 tiny, thought-provoking life stories recently submitted to our sister site, Makes Me Think (MMT). These are simple, powerful, real life stories written by the people who lived them. Today, it’s been ten years since my abusive ex-fiancé sold my… -
20 Things to Start Doing in Your Relationships
29 Jan 2012 | 8:22 amFamily isn’t always blood. They’re the people in your life who appreciate having you in theirs – the ones who encourage you to improve in healthy and exciting ways, and who not only embrace who you are now, but also embrace and embody who you want to be. These people – your real family – are the ones who truly matter. Here are twenty tips to help you find and foster these special relationships. Free yourself from negative people. – Spend time with nice people who are smart, driven and likeminded. Relationships should help you, not hurt you. Surround yourself with… -
12 Things Successful People Do Differently
22 Jan 2012 | 12:32 pmI’ve always been fascinated by people who are consistently successful at what they do; especially those who experience repeated success in many areas of their life throughout their lifetime. In entertainment, I think of Clint Eastwood and Oprah Winfrey. In business, I think of Steve Jobs and Warren Buffett. We all have our own examples of super successful people like these who we admire. But how do they do it? Over the years I’ve studied the lives of numerous successful people. I’ve read their books, watched their interviews, researched them online, etc. And I’ve learned… -
101 Simple Truths We Often Forget
15 Jan 2012 | 9:28 amIt‘s not where we stand but in what direction we are moving. Sometimes we find ourselves running in place, struggling to get ahead simply because we forget to address some of the simple truths that govern our potential to make progress. So here’s a quick reminder: The acquisition of knowledge doesn’t mean you’re growing. Growing happens when what you know changes how you live. You can’t have good ideas unless you’re willing to generate a lot of bad ones. A good idea without action is worth nothing. Change is often resisted when it is needed the most. Discipline is choosing…
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Collaboration
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O2 sends 3,000 staff home to telecommute for a day
9 Feb 2012 | 9:01 amRemote work may be a reality for freelancers with no managers eager to look over their shoulders, at plenty of tech firms that are comfortable with remote collaboration tools and edgy, young companies, but it’s still a long way from wide acceptance at your standard, stodgy corporate headquarters, right? Maybe not. Even big companies without a particular reputation for cutting-edge practices are slowly starting to realize that the real estate savings and employee morale benefits of remote work make it an attractive option. Take UK telecoms giant O2 for example, which closed its… -
Study science and math to get ahead in the future of work, right?
9 Feb 2012 | 6:04 amWhen you read accounts of the fierce competition for science and engineering grads, if you are a humanities or social science type (like me) you could be forgiven for slapping yourself on the forehead for forgoing the chance to earn six-figure salaries and be provided with ping-pong tables and free food for your entire career. But is getting that degree in science, tech, engineering or math (the so-called STEM subjects) really the best bet for long-term career success? If you look at trends in the future of work, then maybe not, argued Daniel Jelski, a professor of chemistry at SUNY New… -
Why we are buying paidContent
8 Feb 2012 | 11:05 amFirst the news: Yes, the rumors are true. We are indeed buying the assets of ContentNext Media from Guardian News & Media Limited. And no, we are not disclosing the terms of the deal, except that we are buying the entire group of properties — paidContent.org, mocoNews.net, contentSutra and paidContent:UK and that a representative of Guardian News & Media will join our board of directors as an observer. A few weeks ago when Paul Walborsky, CEO of GigaOM, came to the board and suggested that we should try and acquire paidContent, my fellow board members — Jon Callaghan (True… -
Microsoft OneNote on Android: nice but late to the party
8 Feb 2012 | 8:04 amMicrosoft added Android support for its OneNote mobile app, enabling smartphones and tablets running on Google’s mobile platform to take notes from their device. The software syncs through Microsoft’s Windows Live SkyDrive and to both OneNote for Microsoft Windows and the OneNote web app. OneNote for Android is free for the first 500 notes, and then costs a one-time fee of $4.99 for unlimited usage. The price is certainly right to try OneNote if you’re an Android user: 500 notes will tell you for sure if the app meets your needs. And for many users, it likely will. I say… -
An unexpected side effect of remote work: Denser communities
8 Feb 2012 | 6:01 amWill the rise of remote work mean we’re more spread out or more densely packed together? Obviously the latter, you could argue, pointing to the fact that logging in to work via the web allows colleagues to be spread from Abu Dhabi to Austin. But there is a case to be made that when the trend towards remote work is far enough along, the result will be denser communities of workers. The Atlantic Cities explained this second point of view recently, noting data that points to a renewed and rising interest in downtown cores and trends towards more urban-style suburbs where residents live…
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Scott H Young
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The Sex Scandal Technique: How to Achieve Any Goal, Instantly (and Party with Tim Ferriss)
6 Feb 2012 | 1:05 pmIt’s no secret I almost never do guest posts. But when my friend, Maneesh Sethi offered to write one, I didn’t hesitate to make an exception. Maneesh is a 24-year old with a resume that most people won’t accomplish in their entire lives. He was an international best-selling author still in his sophomore year of high-school. He took two years off from Stanford to travel the world, learn five languages, build a business that paid for his lifestyle while working fewer than four hours per week, and even started an NGO, SaveThem.net, in India to teach poor kids computer skills. Maneesh’s… -
If You’re Young, Do Harder, Riskier Things
23 Jan 2012 | 9:26 amI get a lot of email. Most is encouraging, but now and then I get an email from a reader irate that one of my articles didn’t speak to them personally, so they write me a scathing critique. A common template goes something like, “You think it’s easy to do _____. Just wait until you have kids, tons of debt and a mortgage bub.” The idea being that I’m somehow at fault for not giving them personalized advice because they had made poor life decisions. But it does bring up a good point: if you’re young, it is easier to do harder and riskier things. If you’re smart, you take advantage… -
Do Hard Things
16 Jan 2012 | 11:20 amI have a rather uncommon mantra for my life: Do the hardest thing you can. Uncommon, because I’ve met exceedingly few people who agree with it. In fact, almost everyone suggests the opposite. When I started my MIT Challenge, one of the most common warnings was, “don’t burn yourself out.” Yet, despite taking on bigger projects, I’ve found this mantra to be increasingly valuable. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the few people I have met who live this mantra are also incredibly successful. What’s more interesting is that the more I follow this mantra the happier I am as well. Building… -
Look Lazy, Be Productive
9 Jan 2012 | 2:55 pmThere’s a huge difference between looking productive and being productive. It’s one I wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self. About seven years ago, I had big ambitions. I was going to run my own online business and be successful. Unfortunately I didn’t have any direct role models of people who had already done what I wanted to do, I could only read about them. One inference I made is that most successful people are incredibly productive. But because I had never met any of them, I had to guess what that would be like. And, like many people, I assumed that meant ruthless… -
Two Types of Advice
18 Dec 2011 | 5:29 pmFirst, there’s generic advice. The kind that fills books and graduation ceremonies. It represents the advice-giver’s accumulated wisdom, but it’s not directed to an individual. Confucius shared general principles of good living, not just advice for one person. Steve Jobs spoke to the entire Stanford convocation, not just one graduate. The advantage of generic advice is scale. Instead of reasoning about all cases and circumstances, the advice-giver tries to provide a best-fit approximation of the advice for most cases. The advice is better the closer you are to the author’s ideal case.
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PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement| PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement
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How to be Intentionally Happy
8 Feb 2012 | 9:27 pmWhat makes you happy? Money? The newest iPhone? The good health of your family? A promotion at work? Some interesting work by University of California, Riverside researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky not only suggests where our happiness comes from, but shows how to get more of it. Pieces of the happiness pie Dr. Lyubomirsky proposes that there are three components to happiness: A genetically-based “happiness set point” Life circumstances Intentional activities and practices. She has broken these three areas into percentages regarding how much they are responsible for your happiness. Although the… -
How to Use Diet and Exercise to Naturally Treat Your Depression
7 Feb 2012 | 9:58 pmLet’s face it. Depression is daunting, but so are some of its treatments. SSRIs, MAOIs, TCAs, SNRIs, nerve or magnetic stimulation, seizure therapy, and even neurosurgery are available to battle depression. For the most part, drugs and intensive medical therapies are only necessary for severe or persistent cases of depression that cannot be resolved in talk therapy or by means of other alternate therapies. If you have recently been diagnosed with depression, if you suffer from a mild form of depression, or if you would like to consider reducing your dependency on depression medications,… -
5 Self Help Books That Might Just Change Your Life
6 Feb 2012 | 10:56 pmSelf-Help: the act of helping or improving yourself without relying on anyone else. Luckily for us, there is a large selection of self-help literature written by truly remarkable authors. These authors share personal experiences from their own successful careers or interview others who have unlocked secrets of happiness and achievement. Stopping by your local bookstore or Amazon for a self-help title can be a bit intimidating! So we’ve handpicked five great reads to jump start your journey to the richer life: The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of… -
It’s Never Too Late To Learn Anything
5 Feb 2012 | 9:47 pmI have a group of ladies who are beginner to intermediate level snow skiers that I teach each week for eight weeks during the winter. When we were sitting on the chairlift, we saw some of the little kids below who were fearlessly zipping down the slopes. These kids must have been anywhere from four to six years of age. Some of the ladies remarked how they wished they had started snow skiing at the same age of these little kids. They claimed that the kids seem to have no fear unlike them, struggling adults. When the kids fall on the snow, they just get up again and laugh it off. This is in… -
The Secret to Waking Up Early
4 Feb 2012 | 1:26 amHaving troubles waking up early in the morning? Always snoozing until the last minute? Often late to work? Well, then you should learn the secret of waking up early. It’s all about the motivation. It is always easier to make an effort when you are really motivated. So, if you want to become an early riser after years of being a night owl, all that you need is to find a good reason to get up early in the morning. Think of the things you always wanted to do but never had time for. Imagine you can find the time needed every day. Just be smart and use your mornings for that. Do something…
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Life Optimizer
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5 Reasons to Become an Early Riser
3 Feb 2012 | 6:45 amNote: This is a guest post from Amber Smith of How to Get Up Early A lot of people find it difficult to wake up early in the morning, and indeed it takes much effort to become an early riser when you are used to be a night owl. When it comes to waking up early, it turns out to be very rewarding. These five reasons to get up early in the morning can give you needed motivation to become an early riser. 1. Health improvement First of all, early rising is a fundamental part of healthy living. Human body was designed to function in harmony with nature. We are supposed to get up when the sun rises… -
What New Challenge Are You Going to Take This Year?
31 Jan 2012 | 9:06 amIf you want to grow, you need to expand your personal capacity. I already wrote about it before, but I think it’s necessary to touch on this topic again. It’s an important topic that deserves constant reminder. Expanding your personal capacity is essential for your personal growth. It will take you the next level in life. It will make you a better person. For that, what you need to do is taking a new challenge. You should move out of your comfort zone and do something that stretches your skills and abilities. It’s inconvenient, but that’s the way to grow. So here is my question to… -
5 Pitfalls to Avoid to Achieve Your Life Goals
26 Jan 2012 | 7:30 amNote: This is a guest post from Clay Andrews of The Path to Passion I don’t mean to be a downer here. If you’re interested in optimizing your life and living it to the fullest, you probably have a lot of big goals and dreams. It’s important to focus on what you want and to use that as motivation to move you forward. However, it’s also important to be realistic about the common pitfalls that people tend to get stuck in as they work toward their life goals. Here are 5 common things I’ve seen in others (and myself!): 1. Pursue Material Success Above All Else It is easy to get… -
How to Write a Manifesto – Why Everyone Should Have One
20 Jan 2012 | 1:00 amNote: This is a guest post from Michael Martel of Achieve the Green Beret Way A manifesto, by definition is a public declaration of a person’s principles and intentions. Throughout history a lot of manifestos have been political in nature. Marx and Engel’s Communist Manifesto sticks in many people’s mind as an example of a manifesto. Other famous ones have been on the subjects of art or technology. However, it doesn’t have to be on a certain topic. A manifesto lays out what is important to someone and publically draws a line in the sand as to what they believe in and what they will do… -
Introducing Resolutions Tracker: An App That Helps You Keep Your Resolutions
17 Jan 2012 | 9:12 amLast week I wrote about HabitMaster. Actually I don’t want to write about my apps two weeks in a row, but – since we are in the beginning of a new year – I think it’s the right time to introduce this app to you. A few days ago I released a new app for the iPhone and iPod touch called Resolutions Tracker. It’s an app that helps you keep track of your resolutions (including but not limited to New Year’s resolutions). As you know, making resolutions is easy, but keeping them is not. So I designed this app to help you plan, do, and evaluate your progress in…
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The Positivity Blog | Increase Your Happiness and Awesomeness
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Simpler Thinking: 5 Powerful Habits That Work For Me
31 Jan 2012 | 6:38 amColorful smoke image from Bigstock. Share || ”Chi Wen Tzu always thought three times before taking action. Twice would have been quite enough.” Confucius “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life.” Eckhart Tolle One of my biggest problems used to be that I thought too much. I overthought any little problem until it became a bigger and scarier thing in my mind. I overthought positive things until they didn’t seem to be that positive anymore. I overanalyzed and deconstructed things until the happiness that comes from just… -
Mark Twain’s Guide to Living an Awesome Life: 7 Essential Tips
23 Jan 2012 | 7:32 amShare “The man who doesn’t read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” “Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident.” “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” Back in 2009 I wrote an article with some great quotes from Mark Twain – lecturer, satirist, humorist and author of classic books like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – and it became a favorite for me and many readers. A sequel to Mark Twain’s Top 9 Tips for Living a Kick-Ass Life has been in my ideas folder… -
How to Focus Your Attention on What is Most Important in Your Life
12 Jan 2012 | 7:47 amImage by nattu (license). Share || “Tell me to what you pay attention and I will tell you who you are.” Jose Ortega y Gasset “Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention.” Jim Rohn Keeping your attention on what is most important in your life is one of the most essential ingredients if you want to be able to: Stick with your goals. Achieve what you want to achieve each day. Appreciate what you have in your life. Clearly see how you can use your time here in the best way. Like with most things, this is something that is of course easier said than… -
The Little Guide to Making that New Year’s Resolution Stick
5 Jan 2012 | 6:56 amShare || “The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” Flora Whittemore “Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” Brian Tracy It’s a brand new year and I am guessing that many have their New Year’s resolution enthusiastically in mind. But how can you make the resolution something that sticks rather than something that gets abandoned in a month or so? Well, first, focus on just developing one habit or making one change at a time. And make sure that it is a change YOU want in… -
Four Questions that Will Help You to Stay on Track in 2012
29 Dec 2011 | 6:31 amImage by Atli Harðarson (license). Share || “New Year’s eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights” Hamilton Wright Mabie The year is coming to an end. Just two days to go. But before we head into 2012 I want to share four questions that you can use so that you don’t lose your way next year. Have a happy, awesome and meaningful…
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Sources of Insight
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How to Read Poetry to Expand Your Heart
6 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amEditor’s note: This is a guest post from Carolyn Elliot on how to read poetry to expand your heart. Carolyn is author of the book Awesome Your Life: The Artist’s Antidote to Suffering Genius. She won several awards for playwriting, fiction, and poetry, fresh out of high-school, and later, taught the courses Reading Poetry and Literature and the Contemporary. She is well read, and some of her favorite authors include Dickinson, Emerson, Goethe, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, Neruda, Nietzsche, Rilke, and Whitman. Carolyn did her undergraduate work in Creative Writing and English at… -
Start Your Year in February
30 Jan 2012 | 7:23 am“Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe I read an article on Stepcase Lifehack on Why You Should Start Your New Year in February. The main idea is to use January to recover from the holidays and make February your focus for getting down to business. So, if you didn’t get the start you wanted in January, then don’t sweat it. Instead, get ready to make things happen in February. Use January as your time to plan things out, decompress from the holidays, and get clear on what you want out of the year. -
Buddha Quotes
22 Jan 2012 | 7:42 pmYou’ve probably come across several quotes attributed to Buddha over the years. I’ve always enjoyed the precision, profoundness, and pragmatism of his quotes. His words of wisdom have stood the test of time on a number of broad topics. For this collection of Buddha quotes, I’ve arranged them by key themes including: Action, Anger, Fear, Health, Life, Love, Mind, Personal Development, Self-Reliance, Speech, and Truth. As you read through the quotes, see if his words, inspire new insight or echo your experience, or challenge your beliefs in some new way. Top 10 Buddha… -
Productivity is a Remarkably Good Thing
19 Jan 2012 | 10:20 pmIn the article,“Making it in America”, in the Atlantic, Adam Davidson writes about how to create and keep a job in our globalizing, mechanizing, economy. It’s a deep look at the impact of the shift to globalization and how “the rewards for being skilled grow, while the opportunities for unskilled Americans diminish.” One of the passages really stood out for me: “Productivity, in and of itself, is a remarkably good thing. Only through productivity growth can the average quality of human life improve. Because of higher agricultural productivity, we don’t… -
Agile Results for Time Management
15 Jan 2012 | 2:29 pm“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” — Charles Darwin As more people ask me about Agile Results, the system inside Getting Results the Agile Way, I realize I need a simple summary page. Here it is. What is It In a nutshell, Agile Results is a simple system for meaningful results. It’s a personal results system for making the most of work and life. It’s a way to be the author of your life and write your story forward. I created Agile Results as a way to help you…
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Illuminated Mind
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If You Want to Finish More, Do This
9 Feb 2012 | 9:27 amIf you’ve been struggling to make progress toward your goals, I have some controversial feedback for you: You’re not doing it right. Yep, you heard that right. It’s not because you don’t have enough resources (you do). It’s not because you need permission (you don’t). It’s not because you’re not prepared enough (you are). And it’s ESPECIALLY not because you’re not “good enough” — you are incredible. The real reason is… How to start kicking ass immediately If you want to quit your job, follow your dreams or… -
And… we have lift off. Trailblazer is LIVE.
2 Feb 2012 | 2:00 pmOkay, I’m a little late getting this message up. Things have been a bit crazy over here at Illuminated Mind headquarters with launch madness. But, we did it! Trailblazer is now LIVE and open for enrollment: TrailblazerJourney.com We’ve been hard at work over the last several months tearing things down and rebuilding Trailblazer from the ground up. We’ve improved all of the content. We’ve added case studies and checklists for every single training module, and revamped just about everything. And last December we launched this video that created quite a stir in our little… -
Why Choosing a Niche is Pretty Dumb (and Why You Should Create One Instead)
26 Jan 2012 | 2:35 pmIf you want to compete in a game someone else created you’ll probably want to find a nice cozy, safe niche that has a history of predictable success. Choosing a niche and differentiating yourself is safe and comforting. And besides, isn’t that what all the experts tell you to do? Find your niche. Well, that’s fine if you want to do something that’s already been done. But I’m guessing that you were brought here to do something bigger. Something more. Maybe your vision is bigger than just following in someone else’s footsteps, or being #2 in a crowded market. -
Win a Free Membership to Trailblazer
19 Jan 2012 | 9:35 amGood morning fellow Trailblazers. My team and I have been hard at work (except for our Shihtzu, Sofie, she’s mostly been barking in her sleep) on the new Trailblazer program. We’ve been releasing a series of videos over the past few weeks, and shared the success stories of some of our awesome members. And last week we had everyone vote on a new emblem for the program (which generated nearly 200 comments). In less than two weeks we’ll be opening the doors to the brand, shiny new program, but for now, there’s nothing to buy. So put away your wallet. :) My heart has… -
Help me choose the new Trailblazer logo
12 Jan 2012 | 11:05 amWe’re rebuilding Trailblazer from the ground up, and it’s time that we got a new emblem to match the new, and improved version of this community. I commissioned Dustin Hoffman (not the Rain Man) to help me design an all new look. If you’re seeking someone to help you with your brand, logo or website, I highly recommend working with Dustin. He’s been incredibly professional and has really blown me away with his work (it speaks for itself, see below). He’s in high-demand, so get in touch with him soon while he’s still available if you can. Anyway, I’m…
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Mystic Madness
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Employee Fun, At The Workplace
9 Feb 2012 | 12:52 amProviding an adequate work environment is one of the best tactics you need to use in order to have a successful business. This can be achieved only if the employees are happy, if they are optimistic, and if they have something to look forward to other than the job when coming in at work in [...] Related posts: How To Measure Employee Satisfaction The Best Employee Evaluation Tools Increase Employee Productivity -
Training Humor, Made Easy
7 Feb 2012 | 11:44 pmHumor can get you out of any mess, from my experience. Having a sense of humor is one of the most important qualities that I look for in anybody, from clients to employees. Of course a sense of humor is more of an innate quality, which you either have or don’t have. But at the [...] Related posts: Working With Difficult People Made Easy Leadership Training Activities 3 Easy Ways To Keep Yourself Fresh -
Employee Of The Month Gifts
7 Feb 2012 | 7:22 amA good way to get an increase in productivity from your employees is to organize employee of the month competitions. They are excellent for making a much more competitive workplace, as long as it doesn’t get out of hand, and people start holding grudges. This is a team leader’s responsibility to keep everybody happy, and [...] Related posts: How To Measure Employee Satisfaction The Best Employee Evaluation Tools Increase Employee Productivity -
Sales Incentive Plans
7 Feb 2012 | 5:59 amMarketing a product has become in recent times even more important than the product itself. In other words, the flash, the face or the form of a product has become in some domains much more important than the substance of the product, what it is and how it’s made. Drawing our attention with clever packaging [...] Related posts: Salesperson Duties And Responsibilities -
Increase Employee Productivity
7 Feb 2012 | 4:11 amBasic math teaches every perspective entrepreneur that in order to have success in a business you need to get the best out of your employees. So, how do you increase employee productivity? Well of course there are a number of solutions and conflicting theories, but the advice that I will expend in this article refers [...] Related posts: How To Increase Your Productivity In Office How To Measure Employee Satisfaction The Best Employee Evaluation Tools
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Fast Company
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"Words With Friends" Board Game Coming From The Makers Of Scrabble?
9 Feb 2012 | 1:14 pmHasbro and Zynga announced today that they have entered into a global partnership. With this license, Hasbro will be making a variety of toys and board games using Zynga's brands, with the first products expected to be released in the coming Fall. There will also be co-branded merchandise. "It's exciting to partner with Hasbro as we share a common vision for play and a mission to connect the world through games," said Zynga CEO Mark Pincus in a statement--funny, since much of Zynga's success has come from Words With Friends, a game that incorporated changes to scoring, a heavy social aspect… -
The Google Wallet Hack Is Not The End Of The World (Or Even NFC) As We Know It [Update: Google Reacts]
9 Feb 2012 | 11:30 amStay calm and carry on, people: It's way too soon to say that NFC should stand for Now Fatally Corrupted. Yes, Google's breakthrough NFC payments app Wallet is being mentioned all over the news thanks to a flaw--it's vulnerable to a hack that gives nefarious types access to your secure PIN number. But don't believe any doomsayers or fearmongering that you may encounter on this matter; it's not as evil as it seems and, believe it or not, it's actually a sign that the future of wireless mobile payments is probably more secure than your current credit card. As reported over at the blog of… -
Ford's Nancy Lee Gioia On Leading Where The Rubber Meets The Road
9 Feb 2012 | 8:05 amIn her 30 years with Ford Motor Company, Nancy Lee Gioia’s learned a thing or two about teamwork, sparking innovation, and being a driving force in what was once considered a man's industry. Nancy Lee Gioia’s been with Ford Motor Company since 1982, when she was hired as a graduate trainee in the electronics division. In the 30 years that followed, she’s held a variety of positions in electronics architecture, manufacturing, and engineering in different divisions.Now, as the company’s director of Global Electrification, Gioia drives strategy and planning for the next generation of… -
Fast Talk: How This Bartender Is Rebooting The Condom
9 Feb 2012 | 7:41 amMeet Richard Pessall, a 20-year-old British entrepreneur who wants to take the condom where no man has gone before (no, not space).Richard Pessall, 20, lives and works as bartender in Shropshire, England. He spent nine years living in the United States, but when he ran out of money to pay for college in North Carolina, he was unable to renew his visa and was forced to return to the U.K. He’s decided to make his fortune before attempting to return stateside. His big idea? Reboot the condom. Forplay, the condom company he's been bootstrapping with his barman’s earnings, has grown to a staff… -
Inside INTERPOL's New Cybercrime Innovation Center
9 Feb 2012 | 7:09 amINTERPOL, the international policing agency, is opening a massive innovation center in Singapore in 2014. At the center, law enforcement will learn all about the latest cybercrimes... and have access to cutting-edge forensics laboratories and research stations.INTERPOL, the international policing organization, is building a law enforcement tech geek heaven in Singapore. The INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation will function as a R&D lab, training facility, and forensics lab for all things cybercrime. Slated to open in 2014, the Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) will be part of the…
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Psychology Today Blogs
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Is the Male Sex Drive the Cause of Wars?
9 Feb 2012 | 1:35 pmWhy are humans so tribal and why do tribal wars almost always involve men as both perpetrators and victims? Our latest research suggests that men maybe biologically programmed to be warriors.read more -
Hot Tips for Relationship Success, Part 2
9 Feb 2012 | 1:24 pmWho's talking now, the Owl or the Crocodile? Your limbic system can sabotage your relationship. Learn how, and learn how to use some incredibly helpful tools to get your love life back on track – just in time for Valentine's Day!read more -
What Kind of Ancestral Leader Are You Most Like?
9 Feb 2012 | 1:22 pmWhat kind of ancestral leader are you most like? Evolutionary Leadership Theory identifies six leadership functions carried out in ancestral groups that serve as leadership prototypes today. read more -
Is Sexual Stereotyping Affecting Your Relationship?
9 Feb 2012 | 12:39 pmMany of our actions are still influenced by misconceptions about men and women that have been passed down through generations. In spite of their stated values, a surprising number of couples relate to each other based on stereotypical views of the sexes.read more -
Jealous? It's Time to Take Action
9 Feb 2012 | 11:54 amDid you see this headline the other day about how people who are madly in love are more likely to put down and even act aggressively toward appealing members of their own sex they see as rivals? It turns out we are all susceptible to jealousy, a scary thought with Valentine's Day just around the corner and people getting ready to celebrate passionate love!read more
