Simpleology Blog

Before anything else, let me state a disclaimer: I'm not passing off myself as a wise man or anything.

However, I've always been fascinated with people. Growing up, I liked observing everyone--from my parents' friends and colleagues to my siblings' pals. (Of course, I also "cased" relatives, neighbors, and my own friends.)

Then, as I grew older, I met more and more people and I got to hone my--as my dad called it--"keen observer of life" skills. In other words, he called me a snoop.

So, after years of snooping, I've listed down some observations which I think always hold true:

1. It's better to hang out with people who dare to dream big than those who don't have dreams at all.

2. It may be hard to find a friend in need--but it's equally hard to find a friend who'll be genuinely happy for you when you get lucky in life.

3. You should steer clear of people who make you feel bad about being "too nice" and encourage you to be mean.

Do you think I'm right? I've only lived long enough to know that these three things are true. I have yet to encounter people who would prove me wrong about these three assumptions.

Bottom line: The best kind of people are those who strive to stay positive and refuse to turn bitter in the face of setbacks of Titanic proportions. To get primed for this can-do mindset, sign up for the Kaizen Club. It's a Simpleology course that will teach you how to keep your chin up--no matter who you deal with.

Credits: Photo by Petr Kratochvil, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Posted by Bean Jones at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

1. Use Google Reader to subscribe to blogs. Blogs just like this one are regularly updated with new content. This nature of blogs opens up many ways of tracking the newly posted content. One of the easiest ways to do that is through feeds.

Instead of browsing through each website daily just to check if there's a new article, you can use a special software called Feed Reader to subscribe to the website and do the checking for you.

Google Reader is an online feed reader that you can use to track changes of hundreds of websites. Its robust interface arranges feeds into different folders based on assigned tags.

2. Use Google to automate alerts, search blogs, and go through news items. It's never been easier to follow the news and receive the latest updates on a particular topic.

Google Alerts can be used in many ways, but the easiest way to do it is by creating alerts using keywords related to the subjects you're interested in. Thus, you can sift through the data from blogs and news sites then automatically get updates on your searches via RSS feed.

For searches that are specific to blogs, you can use Google Blog Search.

3. Use Google Books to preview books. Google Books is an ambitious project involving the scanning and indexing of printed books and compiling them in a virtual library. As such, you can either browse the catalog of books or use keywords to find relevant literature. There are thousands of books indexed, so you have a pretty good chance of finding one that suits your taste.

One of its killer features is the Preview, which allows you to download a PDF of selected titles. (These are usually public domain books.) Other books, which are still actively sold and protected by copyright, likewise offer a significant number of scanned pages to give you an idea of what you will get when you buy them.

4. Know what's popular via Google Trends. If you want to find out how one subject compares to another in terms of popularity, Google Trends is the perfect tool. Based on the search requests stats on Google, Trends present you a historical graph of search queries about a particular subject. You only see a guideline and not the exact number of searches. (In any case, that's all you need when you're comparing two or more things.)

There's a list of the most popular trends each day. For each peak in the interest graph, you usually get a link to the source of these developments. Google analyzes the search activity and highlights the hottest topics.

5. Go GMail all the way. My personal favorite, GMail, is the next best thing since sliced bread. It has revolutionized the way we use online email services. In fact, I think it has become a better option than PC-installed email clients like Outlook or Thunderbird.

GMail ups the ante because it has plenty of space for your emails (7GB per mailbox and constantly growing), uses tags for organizing emails, and can collect emails from other mailboxes (POP3).

6. Use Google.com for spelling. Because of the sheer number of searches Google deals with, it is now in the position to suggest corrections to your search requests in case you make a typo.

Besides, you can always look at the number of search results found for your query. Words that are spelled accurately usually appear in more sites or pages.

7. Use Google to do math and convert measurement units. Simply type a math expression in your search bar and Google will be happy to do the calculations for you. You can also try using it to convert various units of measurement.

8. Use Google to find out what time it is anywhere in the world. If you're having a hard time calculating the local time when you're about to call and give birthday greetings to your aunt halfway across the world, use Google to find out if your timing is right.

Simply type your request like this: time in New York.

Then, right under your query, Google will show you the current time. Magic, isn't it?

9. Use the nifty Google Maps. I always use Google Maps to look up places and get driving directions to them. But it offers so much more. I guess the fact that Apple uses this service in their iPod Touch devices proves that it's one of the most efficient mapping services available today.

When you're looking at a map of any major city, you can enjoy schematic or aerial (satellite-imaged) view, browse local businesses in the area, as well as get driving and walking directions in either miles or kilometers. Nothing beats Google Maps' spot-on directions and realistic time estimations.

10. Store your documents online with Google Docs. Many of documents, spreadsheets, and presentations can now be done online using suites of online productivity tools. Google Docs is one of them. You can either create or upload new documents. (GMail likewise offers an option that will enable you to automatically convert attachments from your emails into Google Docs instead of downloading them to your PC.)

With Google Docs, you can easily access all your documents at any location since they're stored on Google servers. Thus, it also facilitates collaboration as it enables you to share documents with others so you and your colleagues can work on any document collectively in real time.

Credits: Screen capture shots from Google.

You can read more of the author's articles in his very own Personal Development Blog. Stop by sometime, there's plenty for you to read on goal setting, motivation, and productivity!

Suggested Resource: Calculate how much time Google's services saves you with the Daily Time Praxis on Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want.

Posted by Gleb Reys at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

Barring any chemical or hormonal imbalance in the body, experts assert that the success of a fitness plan depends on one's state of mind. They have noted that there are indeed mind-over-matter affirmations that help you stick to your fitness regimen. Here are three of them:

"I love carrot sticks."
Start thinking of healthy food as yummy, too. According to a study published in the Journal of Marketing, we link junk food with tastiness. To fight this bad habit, we should make a conscious effort to associate healthy fare with tastiness as well. Keep telling yourself that carrot sticks, cucumber slices, or prunes are great substitutes for chips and candies. By the way, there's no strict rule. You can pick your own favorite healthy munchies.

"I'm getting vitamins."
Findings from a study done at New York's Columbia Business School show that "if you read up on the vitamins and minerals in nutritious food, you might reach for them more often." The more positive info you have on certain food, the more you may like it.

"I want a mini-meal."
According to scientists at Arizona State University at Tempe, most of us assume that snacks are low in calories so we end up eating more. As such, instead of a small snack, go for nutritious food that can qualify as a "mini-meal" such as a tuna-on-wheat sandwich, an orange, and half a cup of chicken soup.

Now, keep in mind that these "mantras" (or any of their variations) are not quick-fix measures. They are not guaranteed to work for everyone. However, if you're determined to be fit, you can use them to give you the mental boost you need to follow through on your fitness plan.

To get a list of what sort of food you should be thinking of and to learn how to strengthen your get-fit mindset, check out Simpleology 103: The Simple Science of Personal Energy. After all, sound fitness plans also require you to feed your mind.

Credits: Photo by Adline Ghani, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Posted by Bean Jones at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Saving money isn't just about making huge lifestyle changes and cutting down on your everyday spending. Sometimes, a minor alteration is all it takes. By recognizing where savings can be made and focusing your attention on particular goals, it's not difficult to make your money go a lot further.

In any case, saving sometimes requires spending first--like when paying off debts or buying things you need.

Given this, here are five ways you can start giving your hard-earned cash a longer life in your possession:

1. Pay off your debts before you save. Your debts are often burdened with high interest rates. Your savings, in contrast, don't usually have such high rates of interest.

So before you go looking at savings, you might as well use your money to pay off your debts. It's best to have a little money stashed away for emergencies (around two to six months of equivalent income is wise), but any extra savings amounts are best used to get rid of your debts.

And the more expensive debts with high interest rates are best paid off before the loans with more competitive rates. For instance, home loans are likely to attract cheaper rates than credit card rates. So, pay off the credit cards before the lower rates of debt.

2. Ask your bank for help...when things are good. Banks don't like to give preferential treatment when you're in trouble, but they're happy to help when you're in a positive position. So don't go asking for loans, better rates, or special perks when you're in dire need of assistance. Instead, plan ahead and see what your bank can do for you when you don't particularly need the help.

With the financial and economic climate as it is, this isn't the best of times for the world's banks. This is why it's crucial for you to present yourself as a happy customer without any pressing issues. Banks should be more willing to listen to your requests if it means hanging on to your money.

3. Haggle everywhere. It doesn't matter what store you're at, you should always try asking for a discount. I went to a chain of bookshops and noticed one of the books I wanted had a slight scratch on the spine. It was the only copy available, so I asked the cashier if any discount was available. He told me he was able to give an instant 10-percent discount, no questions asked. Since I had another couple of books, I suggested 10 percent off all the books would make me a lot happier buying the scratched book. Guess what? I got 10 percent off the lot.

So it's always worth asking. After daring to request a discount a few times, it should become second nature to you. If your request is refused, what have you lost? Nothing!

4. Check the interest rates and best-buy tables for saving accounts. Shopping around for the best savings deals is easy. However, a lot of people still keep their money in an old account with a totally uncompetitive rate. Find out where you can get more interest on your hard-earned savings and deposit the money there instead. Then, if there comes a time when you feel that the account isn't so beneficial anymore, you can deposit your money elsewhere. Check the best buy tables that get published and consult price comparison websites for an idea of the top offers out there.

Even if you don't want to bother moving to a different company or bank, chances are your current financial provider or bank will regularly introduce new accounts. So, look out for any impressive deals they will offer in the future.

5. Make a list of the items you want more than anything else. With a list, it's a lot easier to put yourself off impulse buys. It's likely that you often don't think twice about making an impulse purchase when you have a little cash to spare. You forget that by doing this your money won't go toward the things you REALLY want.

A list of ultimate wants (and their respective prices) can remind you about the things that really matter to you and give you reason to leave that dress on the hook or walk away from the tempting video game.

A few years ago, I was saving for some camera equipment. I wasn't getting very far. So, one month, I worked out how much I'd spent on impulse purchases alone. As it turned out, after one month, it added up to about a quarter of the money I'd been trying to save up!

As soon as I made my list of wants, I realized that my shopping habits changed for the better. Soon after that, saving money was like second nature to me and I was able to afford the camera equipment.

These tips ought to make it clear that saving doesn't just involve building up a long-term nest egg. It also requires you to be wise about spending.

Credits: Photo by Petr Kratochvil, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Suggested Resource: To get smarter at money math, sign up for Simpleology 102: The Simple Science of Money. The first lesson alone, "The Grand Law of Wealth: Increase Your Incomings and Decrease Your Outgoings," is simply priceless.

Posted by Martin Hughes at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

I picked up David Perlmutter's book, Blogwars: The New Political Battleground, just the other day and I have to say I love it.

More than a worthy introduction to the world of political blogging, the book is a scholarly study of how blogs have evolved. Indeed, many Internet users these days prefer the dynamic nature of blogs as opposed to traditional newspapers, magazines, and TV news programs.

Perlmutter--a professor at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Kansas--also highlights the reasons why blogging has become so popular:

1. It's a great equalizer. "For thousands of years of human history, the elites (or their paid scribes, artists, and heralds) were the only one disseminating messages via mass communication," says Perlmutter. With blogs, just about anyone with an Internet access can broadcast his or her opinions. Say, you want generate support for a charity or cause. You could write about it and encourage more people to get involved.

2. It's a hotline to the top. As Perlmutter points out, blogging allows ordinary people to practically "send out memos to the powerful that instantly become public documents." Want to get the president's attention about the state of education or health care in the country? Just post something and there's a chance he might read it and consider your concerns when they're crafting policies.

3. It gets to the heart of the matter. In the world of blogs, everything becomes personal. As an example, Perlmutter cites a blogger named CaptB, a Marine in Iraq whose blog One Marine's View offers a glimpse of what it's really like to be in the middle of a war. His posts transform the war from an abstract concept to something "more real" for people. This way--no matter how we feel about the war--we won't automatically demonize those who are there.

While the information contained in blogs (as well as in other forms of media) should not be taken as gospel truth at first glance, it's clear that they encourage people to think for themselves and examine other perspectives. That, of course, is how change begins.

So, if you've got something that you're dying to say--be it about politics or your favorite TV show--it may be great for you to blog about it. Even the most clueless newbie can learn how to do it like a pro. Who knows? Your opinions could make the world a better place in one way or another.

Posted by Bean Jones at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

If the time we spend on writing, reading, and answering email increases at the same pace as it has done over the past few years, we'll soon be needing more than 24 hours in a day.

Since assigning additional hours to a day is impossible, let's take a look at other ways to regain control over our email correspondence.

Dimensions of Email Correspondence
It's easier if we break down the entire process. Email correspondence has three distinct aspects:

1. Inbound (stuff that comes in)

2. In-process (stuff that's already there)

3. Outbound (stuff that goes out)

We'll go into each aspect to discover the right strategy.

The Inbound Stream
The amount of inbound email you'll get will grow no matter what you do. You can influence the flow of this inbound stream, but you cannot stop it entirely. Limiting the amount of inbound mail is still a good strategy, but it must be accompanied by an additional tactic: filtering.

Filtering is a way to separate the stuff you want to see from the stuff you don't want to see, even before you read it. You can set up filters in almost all email clients, both online and offline. The problem is...you can't set them until you start processing your mail. Below are some tips on how you can more or less monitor the email that is sent to you:

• Disclose your address sparingly.

Give out your address only to those people you want to receive email from. Don't subscribe to unimportant email newsletters.

• Reduce frequency.

Sign up for daily digests instead of individual emails. Don't go crazy on setting up email reminders.

• Install a solid spam filter.

The amount of spam will keep on increasing, and you don't want it in your inbox.

The In-Process Queue
This major backlog (maybe not for you, but for most people anyway) develops when we work through our email. We read, scan, reply, delete, archive, file, mark for follow-up, forward and so on.

If you're like most people, you have a homegrown system, loosely based on folders, rules, and maybe even tags. Emails that need follow-up are either marked as such, or marked as unread again, or moved to another folder. It's chaos disguised as structure.

Homegrown is not bad, but you need a strategy to get in control to adopt a structured system that's versatile and strict at the same time. You want it to be versatile enough to deal with the different kinds of email, but strict enough to not fall apart due to unmet needs. Here are some tips on how you can pull this off:

• Unread items should truly be unread items.

Don't mix unread items and important items; it'll confuse you in time. The inbox is a perfect place of unread items by the way.

• Process in batches.

Don't let the beeping sound of new email drive you crazy and destroy your focus. Shut it down, and process at set times.

• Apply filters.

Remember the inbound stream? When processing your email, remember to decide whether you need to filter that message as well (besides deleting, replying, or archiving).

The Outbound Stream
Dealing with the subject of email correspondence wouldn't be complete if we don't discuss the outbound stream as well. This aspect is often omitted in recommended strategies for dealing with email--which is very unfortunate because it's really the best area to implement change. This is where we can be proactive.

Outbound email--whether you initiate or reply to a conversation--is where you can exert almost full control. The messages you send are the examples that your recipient follows. If you're not empowering them to help you, then they won't make it easier for you. If you use vague language, they will, too (or even fail to respond altogether). Exemplary emails don't guarantee exemplary responses, but the opposite is definitely true. As such, consider these tips:

• Restrict email messages to a single topic.

One topic per email will elicit replies that deal with that one subject only. If an email thread should follow, at least it deals with a single topic.

• Keep it short and simple.

Limit the amount of words you use, and use simple unambiguous words. Don't say it's someone's responsibility; say that you expect them to do it.

• State the expected response.

If you want someone to reply, ask them to reply. If you send something for information only, just say so. If you expect them to do something and then call you when it's done, ask them to do so.

How to Start
It doesn't really matter where you start to regain control. To be a true master of email correspondence, however, you'll have to be in control in all dimensions. Go on...take the first step now.

The author's blog How to be an Original is focused on discovering who you are, deciding what you want, and learning how to get it.

Suggested Resource: Use the Daily Time Praxis from Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want to help you keep track of how much time you spend dealing with your email.

Posted by Lodewijk van den Broek at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day--but it is also the most skipped food stop.

Most of us think nothing of ditching the first meal of the day because we are "running late" or have gotten used to just having a cup of coffee as "breakfast."

Big Mistake
According to a survey done by Men's Health magazine, about 60 percent of men skip breakfast. (I guess the numbers would be the same for women.) That, of course, is one of the worst mistakes we make when it comes to our diet.

"Not eating breakfast may reduce your metabolic rate by 10 percent," says registered dietitian Leslie Bonci, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "This, in turn, increases your risk of obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes."

Good Start
You see, breakfast literally breaks the fasting that you went through while you were asleep. Thus, it's crucial that you take it so your metabolism gets fired up right for the rest of the day. If you miss breakfast, your metabolic rate gets thrown out of whack.

According to the findings of research done by Dr. Paul Arciero--associate professor of exercise science at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York--people who ate more often each day burned more calories than those who didn't have as many meals. "Those who had six small protein-based meals a day burned about 20 calories more than those who ate a similar diet in three larger meals," he reveals.

Body Mechanics
So, it makes sense for you to get a good start by eating breakfast--or else you'll succumb to wolfing down bigger servings later in the day.

Arciero goes on to explain: "The less frequently you eat, the more your body conserves any calories that do come its way as a hedge against starvation. Think of your metabolism as a fire: It will burn longer if you steadily feed it logs all day rather than throw on the whole woodpile all at once."

Likewise, Arciero advises that you aim for about 300 calories per mini-meal (such as a cup of low-fat yogurt with some fresh fruit and a small handful of nuts). To check out more energizing and healthy food options, sign up for Simpleology 103: The Simple Science of Personal Energy.

Credits: Photo by Peter Griffin, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Posted by Bean Jones at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

I used to think that making money was hard. (Who's with me?)

You study hard, get into a good college, graduate with a decent degree, find a well-paying job in a multinational corporation, and work really hard. Then (and only then) if you've done everything right, you can retire happy with a truckload full of cash!

I mean, that's the formula for success and earning big bucks, right? Or so most of us were told.

Well, I followed the formula. However, barely 10 months into my first and last full-time job at a multinational company, I saw the light and figured that enough was enough. I wasn't learning the formula for success. Instead, I was simply learning the formula for surviving the rat race!

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not asking you to drop out of college or do anything drastic like quit your job (unless you choose to). I'm all for education and a high-profile career--if you're pursuing it for the right reasons.

What I'm saying is, making money needn't be as hard as you think.

In fact, I'm going to share with you three powerful secrets that enabled me to become a money magnet and get an income from working online.

1. Break all the rules--and ditch your limiting beliefs while you're at it. Who said you could only get rich if you become a doctor or lawyer or graduate from an Ivy League university? It's common knowledge that some of the richest and most successful people never even graduated from college. Bill Gates, Michael Dell, and Steve Jobs made their fortunes without a college degree to their name.

People often ask what these men did to amass the kind of fortune that the rest of us can only dream about. Then again, an even better question to ask is this: What didn't they do?

That's right! None of them followed The Rat Race-to-Riches Formula.

Why?

Because it doesn't work!

Now, if you're like me, you've probably been told what you can and cannot do all your life. I'm pretty sure Bill, Michael, and Steve faced the same problem, too. But they chose not to listen nor believe what other people told them to. They believed in striking out on their own in the face of doubt and discouragement from the people around them.

You see sometimes, in order to get where you want to go, you need to become a rebel of sorts. You don't have to wait for people to give you their permission for you to go pursue your passions and lead the kind of life you want.

So, have the courage to break a few rules and start living the kind of life you dream of. When you are happy doing what you love and vibrating to a higher frequency, you'll start to attract wealth and abundance quickly and easily.

2. Invest in your financial knowledge and personal development.
Buying a big house or splurging on a new expensive car may seem like great decisions...until the monthly bills weigh you down. In order to become a money magnet, you need to learn how to manage your money well first. Splurging on external luxuries that you can ill afford isn't the wisest move to make. Worse, you may end up incurring massive credit card debts just to keep up with the perceived appearance of success.

As motivational speaker Jim Rohn, author of books like The Art of Exceptional Living, so eloquently puts it: "Work harder on yourself than you do on your job."

Thus, you should take time to attend personal development seminars, read self-help books, and listen to audio programs to improve yourself. The world is always changing and you need to keep up if you don't want to be left behind.

When you start to mirror the mindset of successful people, the money will start to flow straight into your bank account.

3. Ask for what you want.
It's all so simple.

You want a raise? Ask for it!

A discount? Ask for it!

More money in your life? ASK FOR IT!

I'm serious!

Before I started to study and understand the Law of Attraction, I was a complete train wreck. At that point in my life, I had just left my full-time job to pursue internet marketing. But I was getting nowhere. In fact, I was on the verge of giving up.

Then, I decided to try out affirmations and began asking the universe for what I want.

The rest as they say is history.

The Law of Attraction works--but the problem with most people is that they don't feel that they deserve the right to ask for what they want. In such cases, the power of the Law of Attraction usually fizzles out.

In any case, it's really your choice. Continue trying to work really hard for your money. Likewise, continue to just ask for what you want, believe, and get ready to receive. It's really a no-brainer if you ask me.

The minute you commit to these three powerful moves, true wealth starts coming your way. Of course, you still have to work hard. But, as I said, it won't be that hard when you've already got the right mindset.

Credits: Photo by Anna Cercova, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

The author is an award-winning personal development blogger and life coach whose mission is to bring more love, hope, and joy to the world. If you dig this article, feel free to visit his blog, Personal Development for the Book Smart. You could also subscribe to his Personal Development Tips e-newsletter to receive 101 Powerful Affirmations absolutely free!

Suggested Resource: To help you get on the road to true wealth--without you having to become a frazzled and disgruntled player in the rat race--check out Simpleology 102: The Simple Science of Money.

Posted by Yee Shun Jian at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

Each time the weekend rolls around, we all breathe a sigh of relief. We either catch up on sleep or give ourselves a treat. Unfortunately, we also fall into the most common weekend sin. We forget or ignore our fitness regimens and gorge on the food we're supposed to give up--like chips, greasy burgers, and pastries.

Crazy, Lazy Days
Dr. Susan Racette--one of the authors of "Influence of Weekend Lifestyle Patterns on Body Weight," a 2007 study done at the University of Washington's School of Medicine--states: "There is less structure on the weekend for a lot of people, and that can wreak havoc. A little indulgence turns into a big indulgence. Being vigilant on the weekends is really important for people either trying to lose weight or maintain a weight loss."

Paying a Heavy Price
Various studies show that most Americans eat an average of over 100 calories more per day on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays compared to the other days of the week. Consequently, according to Racette's study, these "weekend slackers" could gain as much as .06 of a pound per day.

Now here's where the math gets scary. If you gain .06 of a pound each day for three days, then that adds up to a total weekend weight gain of almost .4 of a pound.

There are 52 weeks in a year. So, you multiply .4 of a pound by 52 and you get the whopping total of an annual weight gain of 20 pounds.

Assuming that you don't do any exercise at all, imagine gaining that much year after year. Do you really want to wait for all that unwanted weight to settle in before you do anything to keep it off?

Planned Eating
To help keep you stay focused on your fitness plan over the weekend, here are some common-sense tips:

1. Take three bites on Friday. Your "Thank, God, it's Friday!" exuberance may lead you to go on a celebratory binge. In the article, "Win the Weekend Weight War," Tajinder Rehal advises: "If you can't help it, then use the three-bite rule. You can't possibly blow your diet big-time on three bites of anything."

2. Weigh in on Saturday. "Jump on the scale on Saturday morning, and plan to do it again on Monday. Researchers say people who weigh themselves are better at weight control," states registered dietitian Elizabeth M. Ward in "Weekend Diet Tips." If you're just hanging out at home, Ward issues this reminder: "Restrict afternoon snacks to one healthy choice, such as almonds, popcorn, or pretzels. No refills!" (Also, if you're getting popcorn, hold the butter.)

3. Get set on Sunday. Use this day to plan your meals for the entire week. Take time to stock up on healthy food that you enjoy. In fact, you could make this your regular weekend ritual. Make sure that you get food that would energize you for the entire week. (Tip: Check out Simpleology 103: The Simple Science of Personal Energy for a list of foods that would energize you the right way.)

Yes, we owe it to ourselves to take a break from our busy lives over the weekend--but we all have to keep in mind that we owe it to ourselves to stay healthy, too. That's probably the greatest treat of all.

Credits: Photo by Petr Kratochvil, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Posted by Bean Jones at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Love them or loathe them, you can't escape them.

Meetings are an integral part of our everyday working lives. Whilst they can be a useful business tool, they can cause huge disruption to business and demotivation in the workforce if not run efficiently.

Here we look at five simple ways that could help ensure that meetings are productive and beneficial to your business and employees.

1. Ask yourself: "Do I really need to hold a meeting?"
I've been to many meetings that didn't accomplish anything at all. Whilst there is no denying the benefits of face-to-face communication, there may be alternative (and dare I say more appropriate) ways of communicating with people than gathering them all in one place at the same time.

If you can get your message across clearly and concisely via an e-mail, fax, memo, or by simply sending out your PowerPoint presentation then think about using this medium instead so that people can read it when it fits into their schedule rather than having it disrupted.

But, if you do decide to hold a meeting....

2. Set an agenda and stick to it.
Make sure that all of the topics to be discussed are outlined. Then, at least a day or two prior to the meeting, check the list of people who are required to attend (after checking everyone's availability) and take note of who needs to bring what and which supporting materials should be sent out to the relevant people.

Be firm about the meeting's schedule. Note the start and end time of the meeting so that people know how much time it will take up. Moreover, ask them politely to attend on time. There's nothing worse than having a meeting interrupted by the arrival of a latecomer.

Set agendas are also a great way to prevent anyone from discussing subjects that are outside the realm of the current issue. You can use the agenda to bring things back on track, politely pointing out that it's not lined up for discussion at the moment. There's no harm in allowing the person to bring up the issue at a more relevant point later on in the meeting or under an "Any Other Business" agenda item but allowing people to move away from the topic at hand is really disruptive and you'll never be able to get the meeting back on track.

3. Make sure you know what the desired outcomes are.
Is there any point in holding a meeting if you don't know what you want to achieve from it?

You need to make sure that each topic that's to be discussed has some form of action associated with it whether it be scheduling further meetings after sorting out working groups, signing off a proposal, or agreeing on a new supplier. Without definite actions you cannot successfully close a topic and you'll just leave people struggling to remember why the meeting was even called in the first place.

4. Test your equipment--then test it again.
I'm sure we've all been there, you're just about to fire up your PowerPoint presentation and you can't get the projector to work--or worse still, your laptop dies.

Ensure that everything is set up and tested well in advance of the meeting and you have the necessary support or backup in case the worst happens. There's nothing more frustrating to people than for them to give up their precious time only to sit in front of a blank screen for twenty minutes whilst you wait for someone from tech support to fix the problem.

If you have several people presenting, ask them to provide you with anything they need to show before the meeting so that you can get it set up all on one computer. This minimizes the risks of technical difficulties caused by other people's equipment and also prevents the hassle of having to swap machines half-way through the presentation. If you have five people presenting and it takes them just two minutes to change machines over, that's an amazing ten minutes of time lost that could have been used on more productive matters.

5. Minimize the distractions
When sending out the agenda, politely remind people that they will be required to turn off their cell phones, PDAs, and laptops--and no, putting them on silent or sleep mode is not an option! The disruption that's caused by people "just popping out to take a quick call" is almost immeasurable. Also, make sure to remind people at the beginning of the meeting that they need to turn these items off, that way they have no excuse to have forgotten!

Make sure that the room is well ventilated and there is water (or tea and coffee if you prefer) available. People lose concentration very quickly if they're uncomfortable. If the meeting is to be over two hours long, schedule brief rest breaks so that people can stretch their legs. When they return they'll feel a lot more productive and refreshed than if they have to sit there without moving for the whole day.

These tips aren't difficult to implement and should fit in well with any organization and meeting style. Even the simple minor changes listed here should have a profound effect on how your meetings turn out.

Ideally, people should be happy to attend them so that they'll contribute more and you'll likewise have accomplished more at the end of them.

Credits: Photo by Petr Kratochvil, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Katy Whitton is a Web developer and writer. She blogs about personal productivity, workplace motivation, and time management at FlippingHeck.com.

Suggested Resource: To practice time management for meetings and other tasks, sign for Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want and try using the Daily Time Praxis.

Posted by Katy Whitton at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

The No-Quit Kid. The Karate Kid (1984) captured my imagination when I was a little boy because he simply wouldn't quit. This little movie may not have special effects or grand sets, but it made a huge impact on me. It made me realize that you win whenever you get up from a fall.

Though there are people out there who brush off feel-good tips, I still believe that positive thinking should be practiced whenever possible. Why whine when you can find ways to make yourself--as well as the people around you--feel better?

No Whining Allowed
Don't get me wrong, I'm no saint. I whine about the most mundane things. I hate it when elevators don't work. I grumble when I get elbowed in the jam-packed subway. I get irked by people who treat waiters badly. (I was one in the summer of my senior year in high school and I know how hard it can be to meet some customers' demands.)

Then again, it takes way more energy to be mad at the world than to roll with the punches.

Positive Power
So, I try to be positive...in a tough sort of way.

If there's such a thing as "tough love," then I think there should also be "tough positivism." This is exactly the kind of mindset that Dr. James E. Loehr, psychologist and author of books like The New Toughness Training for Sports and Stress for Success, teaches.

Tips for Champions
Though Loehr specializes in the mental conditioning of athletes, I find that most of the advice he gives applies to the most complex game of all--life. Here are five of his tips for winning the battle against the things that bring us down:

1. Keep your chuckle--no matter what. When you think funny or silly thoughts, fear and anger vaporize.

2. Tune in to the here-and-now. In any pressurized situation, thinking about the past or the future can lead to anger and frustration. Practice maintaining a moment-by-moment focus. Resist the urge to cry over the past or the temptation to get ahead of yourself.

3. Don't think or say, "I hate..." or "I can't." Learn to "bleep out" inflexible, rigid statements that can build emotional roadblocks.

4. Brainwash yourself into thinking like a winner. Whatever you don't want to do or are afraid you can't do, post signs everywhere saying, "I love..." (In my case it would be, "I love meeting my deadlines.") Write it 25 times a day and learn to think it.

5. Use adversity to get stronger. When possible, think of every crisis as an opportunity to grow, to extend beyond your normal limits. A major component of emotional toughness is learning the right attitudes when it comes to tough times.

The "You" Factor
While Loehr's tips are empowering--they're not, by any means, magic. Ultimately, the decision to dust yourself off and try to find your bearings after any hard fall is all up to you. Wise words may help, but you have to do the work. Wimping out on yourself is the worst thing you could do.

To make you sure that you know how to stick up for yourself in the face of adversity, check out the Kaizen Club, a Simpleology course that offers all sorts of kick-ass life skills. (No wimps allowed.)

Posted by Bean Jones at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

With piles of paper taking over your desk, phones ringing non-stop, and urgent emails demanding your attention, you risk being frazzled. Productivity suffers. Take a deep breath. It's not as hopeless as you think it seems.

Small steps and a change of perspective can help you make big leaps in productivity.

Getting the most out of your workspace can be a daunting task if you're not sure where to start. There are many books on how to get organized--but many of those titles are never opened and end up serving as dust protectors for bookshelves all around the world.

If you're a collector of said books, allow me to throw you a lifeline: it's OK if you haven't read them all. You may need some smaller chunks of information to get moving and get your work done.

The following tips are things I have taught my clients, and are the fundamental building blocks of long-term organizing success.

There are as many ways to get organized as there are people. Everyone brings something different to the table. Take these building blocks and apply your own creativity and style and watch your productivity soar!

1. Assign homes. It's very likely you have one, and at the end of each day you go there. Treat your supplies in your workspace in the same way. If you have a stapler, decide where it will go, and return it to its home each day. You'll know right where it is the next time you want to use it.

2. Keep in mind that not all paper is the same. There are three types of paper: Action, Projects, and Reference. Action paper needs just that, action, and usually only one step. Projects have two or more steps, and a clearly defined end date. Reference is mostly likely the majority of your paper, and is most often stored in a file cabinet. Know your paper, group them together and use big bucket categories. Use the easiest system you can think of, and then get to it!

3. Remember that you are not your neighbor. You're not your mother, your sister, or your impossibly neat best friend. It's OK, and it's not necessary to be anyone but who you are. Forcing yourself to use someone else's system is a productivity (and creativity) killer. Use what you have and build on your strengths.

4. Don't cross the lines. Boundaries are crucial to increasing productivity, whether it's a shut door, turning off distractions, or posting your hours. Guard your time fiercely and protect it from others walking all over it.

5. Don't fall into the "Look, something shiny!" trap. Take a stroll with a three-year-old, and you'll notice how easy it is to get distracted. Set up your workspace to maximize your attention on the task at hand. Also, take small breaks throughout the day to lessen the chances of yearning to chase down that shiny object just out of reach.

6. Differentiate Tasks and Projects. Task = one step, Projects = two or more tasks. Keep them separate in your mind and in your physical space. Projects are sometimes mistaken for tasks and languish on a "To Do" list. If your task list is a little stale, take a few minutes to weed out the projects.

7. Get real. Your life is not a magazine cover, so get real about what "organized" really is. "Organized" = the ability to find most anything you need in 5 minutes or less. So many of my clients started organizing efforts with good intentions. Where many of them ran into trouble was what organization "looks" like. It's not always neat--and it does not need to be perfect. Being able to find what you need is what matters, not the package it's in.

Credits: Photo from Hiresupply.com.

Brandie Kajino of The Home Office Organizer is a dynamic speaker, author, and professional organizer. Empowering clients with information, technology, productivity tools and space planning are her specialty. For more information on her services and direct links to her radio show, Sparkplugging.com Blog, as well as morefree organizing tips, visit her website at www.thehomeofficeorganizer.com or call 971-533-7735.

Suggested Resource: To keep tabs on your productivity progress, get into the habit of doing the Daily Time Praxis from Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want.

Posted by Brandie Kajino at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

My mother recently called me up with the news that my cousin Robbie had quit his job as an architect and has decided to paint for a year. My mother's family is fiercely clannish so Robbie's seemingly-crazy move was spread through the grapevine in a matter of minutes. (My mother and her sisters will put CNN to shame.)

Thinking Crazy
Anyway, my aunt wanted my mom to ask me to talk some sense into Robbie because I myself had done something similar years ago: I quit med school and decided to work with words. "Maybe you could tell Robbie how hard it is to work in jobs like yours," my mom said.

Exasperated, I told her, "He's 27 for goodness' sake! He can do whatever he wants. Besides, you know better than to ask me to do that. I don't regret not being a doctor--except maybe when I get sick and wish I could prescribe medicine for myself."

In any case, it's not just my family who thinks that ditching a "grown-up job" in order to be "creative" is nutty. A lot of people actually forgo pursuing creative professions because they don't want to be "starving artists."

Despite this, there are still people like Robbie who take a chance on being creative. Hey, it's never too late to do it.

Bringing Out the Inner Artist
In fact, Julia Cameron, author of Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance, offers tips on how to awaken your inner artist at any age:

1. Name your fears. Jot down any anxieties you feel about pursuing a creative career or project. Putting your worries on paper allows you to confront them, then move past them.

2. Dial a friend. Appoint a positive pal whom you can call in times of doubt and who is also able to make you see other more practical perspectives. In my case, my med school buddy Allan was there to tell me: "Buddy, if med school isn't for you, juts leave before you turn into a lousy doctor. But be sure you can tough it out as a wordsmith."

3. Do it whenever you can. You don't have to cross over to the creative side drastically. You can have the best of both worlds by finding time for your creative pursuits. For instance, your can use your lunch hour to write down your ideas for your story or do a rough sketch of a painting you hope to do.

So what advice can I give for my cousin Robbie? All I can tell him is this: Man, do what you can to be happy at what you do. Whether it works out or not makes no difference, as long as you give it your best shot.

And for those who want to tap their inner artist without much risk of being the topic of the family grapevine, check out Simpleology's Jacque Fresco on Drawing. The guy is over 90 years old and still obviously stoked by being creative. Plus, he's certainly still making some money from it, too. Isn't that inspiration enough?

(Way to go, Robbie!)

Credits: Photo by Anna Cercova, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Posted by Bean Jones at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Experts who utilize the power of focus effortlessly attract very targeted customers to themselves and their businesses.

A Case of Overload
Do you feel a sense of overwhelm every time you open up your e-mail client and see all those e-mail messages waiting for your response? Every day, there are more and more and more! All just waiting for you to take some sort of action! If you answered yes, you're not alone. Heck, we live in the information age and we work Online. Everyone, including you and me, wants everything immediately.

Do you feel stressed about it? Maybe even overwhelmed? I'm guessing that you have felt this way at least a few times--if not on a daily basis.

Multitasking Madness
More often than not, most people attempt to tackle several of their daily tasks all at once. Doing a little bit of project A, then a little bit of project B, then a little of project C and so on. Then by the end of the day, week, month or even year, they have done a little of everything but have not completed any one task in full.

As a result, nothing substantial gets accomplished, which often means no profit-generating projects were completed either!

The ability to multitask is NOT an asset. It is NOT something you want your employees to effectively do, nor is it something you want to do. Listen up... if you are multi-tasking you are wasting your time and it's eating up your profits!

The Secret to Working Less and Earning More
Work less and earn more. Yeah right. You hear that all the time but nobody ever actually shows you how it's done. Well, get ready, because I'm about to. And when you see how simple it is, you might just kick yourself!

The secret to working less and earning more is focus. With concentrated focus you'll get a great deal more accomplished in a much shorter period of time. What's the quickest way from point A to point B? A straight line, right? It's not rocket science.

So STOP multitasking. Multitasking just means meandering aimlessly without focus. Doing so gets you nowhere fast.

Charting Progress
Don't believe me? Take a look at the chart above and follow along. In the example, you'll see there are three projects at hand. Project A, Project B, and Project C.

In BOTH scenarios, each of the three projects requires a total of three weeks of time for completion.

In the first scenario, titled "Focus Equals Productivity," each of the three projects are tackled one at a time with a focused effort. As a result, Project A is completed in 3 weeks and in theory should start making you some money.

Now, while the cash flow from project A is coming in, you start project B and work on it for three weeks until completion. Now, after six weeks, you have two projects completed and cash flow coming in from both. So you start project C and complete it in three weeks.

In this scenario, all three projects were completed in full in just nine weeks. Furthermore, you began to see the results after just three weeks from project A and then after six and nine weeks for project B and C respectively.

Now let's look at the second and, unfortunately, all-too-common scenario titled, "The Multitasking Myth". In this scenario, you begin by working on project A for one week, then you move onto project B for one week, then you do a little of project C for one week.

Therefore, at the end of three weeks of "multitasking" you have done a little of each project but you have not completed any. Therefore, nothing is complete and you have no new cash flow. So you repeat this process spending one week on each project again.

Now six weeks have passed and still, none of the projects are complete, and you still have no new cash flow. So you continue on with each of the projects, spending one week at a time on each until all three projects are finally complete.

The Real Score
As you can see, when multitasking, it takes an entire seven weeks before just one task is completed and has the potential of earning you money. To get all three projects completed takes you twenty-one weeks. That's four weeks of lost productivity on EACH project!

But wait, it gets worse. Do you really think you can go nine entire weeks without a great new idea coming your way? Seriously, we all come up with brilliant new ideas and projects all the time that threaten to take us off course. The result? Half-finished projects get pushed to the "back burner" and never actually get completed. Before you know it, the entire year has gone by and you've accomplished very little.

TIP: Turn off your email! Email is the biggest time killer there is. Every time you look at your email you'll get side-tracked from the task at hand.

Stay focused and only check your email during set times each day. I review and respond to email for one hour each morning then I turn it off and get on with my ONE project. Then, at noon or after lunch, I'll check my email for responses to any communication that was opened in the morning. After that, I turn it off for the rest of the day and, if I get a chance, I'll take one more quick look in the late afternoon.

Anything more than that is too much. If you need more time than that, I recommend you consider hiring some support staff to help you take care of support issues, set up meetings for you, and review joint venture proposals.

If you liked this article and want to learn more, you can get a copy of Glen's 3-Day workshop for free!

Posted by Glen Hopkins at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

I recently came across an article from Science Daily which talked about the groundbreaking research done at the University of Maryland's School of Medicine. They discovered that joyful tunes "have a healthy effect on blood vessel function."

I was delighted by the study but I was surprised by some of the findings. In fact, I would have never guessed what qualifies as joyful music. Then again, maybe it just isn't my kind of music.

Happy Picks
"We knew that individual people would react differently to different types of music, so in this study, we enabled participants to select music based upon their likes and dislikes," explains principal investigator Dr. Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center and associate professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Thus, the participants were asked to undergo extensive tests. For one, they were made to listen to their chosen tunes for 30 minutes while researchers measured their happiness by the number of dilations of the blood vessels around their hearts.

Top Tunes
As it turns out, most of the participants in the study tagged country music as their favorite mood booster. They likewise revealed that "heavy metal" music made them feel anxious.

"You can't read into this too much, although you could argue that country music is light, spirited, a lot of love songs," said Dr. Miller, who assures us that he "could have selected 10 other individuals and the favorite could have been a different type of music." He adds: "We're all wired differently, we all react differently. I enjoy country music, so I could appreciate why country music could cause that joyful response."

At the moment, researchers are still in the process of finding out if other types of music produce similar positive effects on blood vessels. So, if you're into making music, now would be a good time to put your music out there. You never know. Your tunes might literally save a lot of hearts.

Source: University of Maryland Medical Center. "Joyful Music May Promote Heart Health." ScienceDaily 12 November 2008.

Posted by Bean Jones at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Simple habits can get your day off to a great start. They may seem obvious--but most of us fail to do simple things that can make us feel better. We don't take the time to live and be conscious, because we're too busy. But, in fact, it doesn't really take too much for us to find quality time for ourselves--as long as we have the energy for it.

Here are seven energy-boosting moves you can do in 30 minutes or less:

1. Stretch first thing in the morning. Do you wake up with aching muscles? Start stretching your legs. If it's painful, you've probably let yourself go too long, but if you start slowly and stick with it, it will improve the way you feel for the rest of the day. Take two to three minutes to do a series of moderate stretches every morning.

2. Exercise immediately after you stretch. You don't have to run five miles or do a full body workout at the gym. Start with something simple that takes a couple of minutes like 20 push-ups and 30 squats and work toward 100 push-ups and 100 squats. It only takes a few minutes--but the benefits last all day.

3. Drink two glasses of water Nighttime dehydrates us, and the first thing most of us drink is coffee, which makes it worse. A major cause of fatigue is dehydration. I've discovered that if I drink two glasses of water just before breakfast it gives me a bigger boost than coffee ever did.

4. Eat a whole foods breakfast. Never skip breakfast, but give up processed food. Put away the Froot Loops and the Eggos. Avoid doughnuts and bagels. Instead, eat a bowl of fresh strawberries or blueberries and an egg or two. Even bacon and sausage will serve you better than breakfast cereal (be sure to eat only grass-fed nitrate-free meats). You might think this is time consuming, but it isn't. If I prepare the night before, it only takes 5-10 minutes to eat a healthy breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast, low in refined sugar and flour, can boost your IQ by 15 percent.

5. Skip the coffee. Think you'll die without your morning coffee? You won't. You'll feel better without it. Sure, it will give you a kick for a couple of hours after drinking it, but you will crash hard later and nothing will pick you back up. Your energy levels stay much higher during the day when you avoid coffee. Instead of peaks and valleys, you will have a consistent good feeling all day.

6. Do a standing meditation. Every morning, walk outside and stand silently for a few minutes. Try to observe without thought, without worry, and without judgment. Feel the the universe surrounding you. It will calm you. It will expand your conscious awareness. It will help you think clearly later.

7. Turn off the news and talk radio. This might seem a bit off subject, but it isn't. The ideas you allow into your mind, especially in the morning and just before bed, will affect your energy levels. During your commute, turn off the morning shock jocks and political talk radio. They push negative emotional buttons, a heinous crime you can't do anything about, a corrupt politician, or some horrible injustice. Sitting in a car pumping negative garbage into your mind is a lousy way to start your day. Instead, get an iPod and download some podcasts or get a good audio book on audible.com. Absorb some actionable information, information you can use, information that inspires. Start your day with something positive. I recommend the Alan Watts Podcast.

Remember that the time to energize your life is now. You never know what tomorrow may bring, so make sure that you have enough energy to seize the day.

Credits: Photo by Vojko Kalan, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

The author is a blogger, IT manager for Ergotron.com, and entrepreneur. He is also a technology, marketing, and personal growth enthusiast. But, his biggest passion is helping people achieve freedom in their lives. On his personal blog, For People Pursuing Freedom, he covers personal finance, entrepreneurship, education, self-improvement, business, ethics, and emotional intelligence.

Suggested Resource: To find out how to get energized the right way, sign up for Simpleology 103: The Simple Science of Personal Energy and get clued in on more energy-boosting tips and resources.

Posted by Steve Olson at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (32) | TrackBacks (0)

Back in September, I blogged about a schedule that would help people make the most out of their day. However, that schedule wasn't exactly designed for people on the night shift.

Since one of the most common complaints of those who get assigned to the night shift is weight gain due to their "crazy schedule," I was glad when I came across nutrition expert Lisa Drayer's stay-fit schedule for night owls.

For starters, Drayer emphasizes: "You'll be less likely to overeat if you keep your blood sugar stable. The best strategy is to eat five or six small meals over a twelve-hour period."

To make it easy for you to follow the said directive, she's come up with a food schedule that's suited for night owls:

7:30 p.m. Have your first meal of the "day." Make it your largest meal, packing 500 calories. It should consist of lean protein, vegetables, and whole grains.

10:30 p.m. Grab a 200-calorie snack such as a cup of low-fat yogurt and a fruit.

1:30 a.m. Get a 300-calorie snack that combines carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats such as a fruit and a cup of nuts.

4:30 a.m. Stick to the carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats combo by getting a chicken sandwich on wheat bread or a piece of grilled tuna and a cup of rice.

8:00 a.m. Eat a bowl of oatmeal with a boiled egg or a few slices of cheese.

To complement this schedule, get clued in on more food options. Find out which ones would give you the energy you need. Most of all, remember to stay consistent with the schedule so your metabolism won't be "sleeping on the job" during the night shift.

Credits: Photo by Petr Kratochvil, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Posted by Bean Jones at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

Are you the type of person who greets the day with enthusiasm or grouchiness? If you are like most people, you'd answer, "It depends..."

What does it depend on? The first hour of the morning.

The level of stress and activity in the morning can set the tone for the whole day. A stressful beginning can make a whole day seem frantic. On the other hand, a relaxed beginning can make a difficult day seem smoother. To wit, the key to a great morning lies in the night before.

By getting things ready the night before, you can simplify the start of your day, and even some of your tasks for the next afternoon! Here are six ways to make the morning flow:

1. Get your clothes ready the night before. By picking out your outfit in the evening, you will have time to notice if something is stained, needs repair, or needs ironing. You can also pick clothing appropriate for the weather. You will be able to bypass the staring-in-the-closet part of the morning, as well as the frantic changing of outfits when you notice the coffee stain on your pants.

2. Organize your out-the-door stuff. If you have a briefcase, get it packed. Ladies, pack your purses. Avoid the last minute scramble to assemble the client presentation notes that can mean leaving something important behind.

3. Put your keys by the door. If you spend five minutes looking for your keys each morning, you will end up spending twenty hours a year looking for keys. Keep your keys in one place--by the door--and you will avoid that last minute hassle.

4. Prepare your meals. As much as possible, automate breakfast and lunch. Skipping meals can lead to poor mental and physical performance later on. On-the-go breakfast "convenience" foods and fast food are loaded with extra calories, sugar, and fat that could lead to sluggishness. So, make your breakfast healthy: lay out a covered bowl of cereal and pull some yogurt to the front of the fridge. This way, you'll get to enjoy the food as you cut down on preparation time. Packing most of a lunch the night before can sometimes mean the difference between a healthy inexpensive lunch or a lunch of fast food. Put together some veggies and fruit or make a sandwich. You will avoid the afternoon slump of energy and save money.

5. Set up automated tasks. We live in an age of "convenience machines." If you wash a load of clothes while you are at work, bring the laundry basket to the washer the night before. If you will cook dinner in a slow cooker during the day, get the ingredients assembled and prepped, so all you have to do is plug and go. Having machines work for us is a wonderful convenience, but only we can make the most out of what they can do.

6. Help your children get ready. Help children pick out their clothes, assemble school work, and pack lunches the night before. This will eliminate the added calls of "Mom, have you seen my...?" or "Dad, I need these papers signed and a check for today..." This alone will take a great deal of frantic energy out of the out-the-door time.

You have more time to think and double-check when you prepare in the evening. None of the tips suggested above will take very long--you just have to invest about half an hour each night to get them done, and you will reap the benefits by a smooth, stress-free morning.

Credits: Photo by Anna Cercova, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

The author writes for the Simple Productivity Blog.

Suggested Resource: Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want. (Use the Daily Time Praxis to help make your days even more productive.)

Posted by LJ Earnest at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBacks (0)

The fact that 80 percent of my work week is spent working at home is a good fit for me, but most of my office-based friends often ask, "How do you get anything done?" At this, I shrug and say, "I just do. I'm programmed to work at home." Still, I always get doubtful looks. But that's life. I guess most people associate "work" with desks and cubicles--which certainly serve their own purpose when you're in an office setting.

Spatial Concerns
Recently, one of my office-based buddies buzzed me on my Instant Messenger and complained about not being able to concentrate at work. It turns out his office had undergone some pretty drastic remodeling. Once separated by cubicles, my friend and his office buddies could now easily see each other. Their office had adopted the "open space" look, with some of them even sitting face-to-face. "I can't get anything done," he told me. I typed, "Tell them to bring back the cubicles."

You see, according to business writer Matthew Williamson in the article "Productivity Time Wasters," physical boundaries are a must for an office. "The single most powerful factor in getting a project done is the ability to concentrate on work without distraction. The second is frequent, informal interactions between workers. [These] themes need to be balanced."

Lost Time
He goes on to explain: "At least half of all professionals' time is spent doing quiet, focused work, and two-thirds of people in open offices are disturbed by others' conversations. The conclusion is that offices that have no enclosures are a major cause of lost productivity."

To prove his point, Williamson cites a study of 1,000 office workers--from top managers down. Basex--the New York-based information-technology research firm that conducted the study--found that interruptions consume an average of 2.1 hours a day, or 28 percent of the workday.

In yet another study, a team led by Gloria Mark and Victor Gonzalez of the University of California at Irvine tracked 36 office workers and found that the top two causes of interruption are: a colleague stopping by and the worker being called away from the desk (or leaving voluntarily). As it turns out, these are two things that are more likely to happen when there are no cubicles as the lack of physical boundaries imply that "anything goes."

Boundary Benefits
So, arguably, if you can't concentrate in an "open space" office--then you're better off working at home, where you can call the shots on what to do about interruptions. This way, you've got nobody else to blame if you slack off. You're also more motivated to work hard even if, say, you've already hoarded DVDs of horror movies you've been meaning to watch for the longest time.

Bottom line: Having your own workspace is always a good thing, whether or not you work at home or go to the office. So, instead of thinking of your cubicles as "prisons," think about them as your "productivity havens." Surely, this mindset alone would already inspire you to produce great work.

To help you stay productive each day, get into the habit of doing the Daily Time Praxis, which is one of the core concepts presented in Simpleology 101.

Credits: Image from GHI Office Interiors.

Posted by Bean Jones at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Years ago, I caught an episode of a Nickelodeon show called Dexter's Laboratory where the lead character--a kid who's clearly a mad scientist in the making--wanted to learn French overnight by listening to a language recording while he was asleep. According to his crazy calculations, his contraption would help him become fluent in French by the time he woke up in the morning. I remember telling my nephew, "That's nuts. Don't believe everything you see on TV."

Fab Fact
Well, it turns out that the off-the-wall cartoon might have been closer to fact than fiction. I recently got hold of a product called the The Brain Evolution System (or BrainEv), a six-level program for mastering the brain. Simply put, it is a user-friendly toolkit for the brain made up of CDs featuring sounds that would stimulate the rhythm of beneficial brainwave states.

Through specially-crafted sounds BrainEv fires up the brain's auditor cortex, which, in turn, feeds the sounds into the limbic system. The results: sharper thinking, more energy, greater relaxation, better problem solving skills, and more mentally empowering benefits.

Just what sort of "mind-empowering" sounds does BrainDev give you? Well, you'll be glad to know that no mumbo jumbo is involved. The said sounds come from nature. In fact, my personal favorite is the sound of the forest stream. (You can sign up for their demo to get it.)

Simple Science
At first, I have to admit I was skeptical about the whole thing. I mean, it does sound too good to be true, doesn't it? But when I read the product research, I was convinced that BrainEv was very sound. (Pun intended.)

It uses the technology of brainwave entrainment--a method of synchronizing or "entraining" one's brainwaves and then directly inputting them into your brain. Think about it this way: each of your brain cells gets a tiny electrical charge when it is stimulated. With BrainEv, your brain only gets the "good stuff" and, as such, it'll be more likely to work better.

Hearing Sessions
Of course, since it's a scientifically sound product, BrainEv does not promise instant results. It does, however, guarantee significant development with consistent use. As their information supplements reveal: "Brainwave entrainment is achieved by simply listening to our sound-based program, for 30 minutes per day, six days a week, in the comfort of your own home or personal space."

Other than that, no other "special equipment, exercises or extended effort is required on your part." All you need is a CD or MP3 player and a pair of earphones. (Yep, it can be played on your iPod, too.)

Moreover, if you don't want to wait around for the BrainEv Cd to be delivered to you, you can get it in the form of MP3 files. Think about it: you could just be one click away from having a "better" brain.

Timely Tune-Up
BrainEv is right in tune with the current buzzword: "brain training."

These days, more and more studies are focusing on how we can maximize our minds by providing it with the right kinds of resources and stimulation. According to the findings of various studies, there are immense benefits to be derived from brain training.

That being the case, it's clear that BrainEv is at the forefront of this revolution. And, hey, it's not a mad scientist making that claim. The facts speak for themselves.

Credits: Photo by Robert Kraft, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Posted by Bean Jones at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

If a book's got something good to say, then it will never get old.

My dad asked me to organize stuff for a garage sale my mom's planning over the weekend and I dug through a pile of books and magazines that date back to the 1950s. A voracious reader, my dad even had a trunk full of old Reader's Digest editions--the ones that have a series of articles like "I am Joe's Appendix," wherein a selected body part is made to "talk" in the first person.

In any case, my dad let me put everything into the "Sell" box. All except one book: Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do! by Robert H. Schuller. "Whooops! Not this one. This is timeless," my dad pronounced.

Curious, I looked through the dog-eared volume and--after a few pages--it was clear to me why my dad loves it so much.

The 1983 book is positive psychology (even if the term might not have been popular then) in action, as Schuller highlights proactive ways of looking at problems. He literally toughens you up with every page. Here are some of the points he raises:

1. You are not alone. Everyone has problems. A problem-free life is an illusion. Accepting this fact will help you to move on with your life rather than sitting and feeling pity for yourself.

2. Be careful what you wish for. Many people have the mistaken notion that successful people do not have any problems. It is not true. Success tends to breed its own set of problems. Think about it this way: The grass on the other side only looks "greener" because it's fake grass. Simply put: Many people in high-profile jobs are shocked to learn that their spiffy workplace is actually a cutthroat arena where niceness and fair play are practically unheard of.

3. Ditch being perfect. We all fall into the negative thinking rut from time to time. We badger ourselves with "should haves" and lose sight of the fact that life is often complicated. The pursuit of perfection can lead to anxiety, depression, feelings of inferiority, perfectionism and anger. Allow yourself to fail now and then--just have the guts to own up to your mistakes and never blame anyone else for it. Moreover, learn from your mistakes.

Bottom line: Schuller asserts that "tough people have learned to choose the most positive reaction in managing problems." He adds: "The choice is up to you. A problem can make you better or bitter. It all depends on you."

These days, if you want to speed up your journey to self empowerment, check out the Kaizen Club. Because, goodness knows, we could all use a little help to uncover the best versions of ourselves.

Posted by Bean Jones at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

First I want to thank everyone who participated in this exciting exercise.

If you read the hundreds upon hundreds of comments you'll likely get the same overwhelming sense that I did: this is one super smart and unflinchingly positive crowd of people!

Click here to read the 4 questions, see if you're one of the winners (they're at the bottom of the page), and join this new club.

This is one of the most exciting things we've done in a long time - and the proof that it works is in the reality unfolding around it. We went live while I was on stage on the other side of the globe in Indonesia - my team in control of the launch. I still haven't even checked our "stats" - that's how confident I am in my team.

If I hadn't been making regular "deposits" in the bank of those 4 investments there's no way this could have happened.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 8:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Kaizen Club is launching on 6 November, but wait ...

Before you start it's important that you get in the proper frame of mind. So I want to issue one more challenge to you.

The difference is: your response to this challenge may make this the most important blog post you ever read.

So read on ...

(The winners of this contest, and last week's contest, will all be announced on launch day.)

Please answer these two questions in the comments below - either simply as text, or with a YouTube video:

1. If you could improve one thing in your life right now, what would it be?

2. What can you promise to the world you will do RIGHT NOW to improve it?

Answer those two questions in 100 words or less in the comments below.

The most inspiring answer will win a one hour live consultation with me and free membership to Kaizen Club for life.

We'll select 4 replies at random and give them a free annual membership to Kaizen Club.

If you want to spice up your response with a YouTube video we encourage you to do so, but it is not required. Just make sure:

a. You mention "This is my entry for the Simpleology KaizenClub.com contest" at the start of your video. And begin the text description of your video with this URL: http://www.simpleology.com/blog

b. Include a link to the video in your comments below (otherwise we may never see it!)

If you have any questions, please contact our 24 hour live help desk. I look forward to see your entry! (I will read and/or watch each of them personally.)

Remember: the importance of this particular challenge is not who wins, but that you answer. There is something extremely powerful in what you're about to do here that you may not understand yet. (I'll explain next week.) So, I encourage everyone to take a moment now and respond.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 6:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (451) | TrackBacks (0)