Simpleology Blog

In a world where winning the rat race--or any other contest that pits one individual against another--is considered a stellar achievement, pop culture analyst Alfie Kohn's No Contest: The Case Against Competition highlights a more enlightened perspective.

The book, which has been controversial since it first came out in 1986, criticizes society's obsession with competition. He cites three very good reasons why our contest-driven mentality isn't really healthy:

1. It divides us. Kohn eloquently argues that our struggle to defeat each other--at work, at school, at play, and at home--turns all of us into losers because we waste our time, resources, and energy in our "fight" against our rivals. Instead, we could have decided to join forces with our competition and accomplish so much more.

2. It corrupts us. Kohn believes that it is not a part of "human nature." In fact, he writes, the fact that most of our workplaces and schools value competitiveness instead of excellence push some people to employ dirty tactics in order to win.

3. It alienates us. "Rather than building character, competition sabotages self-esteem and ruins relationships. It even warps recreation by turning the playing field into a battlefield," states Kohn.

The points that Kohn highlights are worth pondering on. Reading the book also had me recalling a quip made by comedienne Lily Tomlin: "Remember, young people, even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat."

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Blog it forward. Your thoughts may give great comfort to others.

Lately I've been worried over what to blog about. (Chalk it up to my brain going fuzzy from decongestants.) But then a friend gave me a link to an article discussing the results of a 2005 AOL survey done by Digital Marketing Services Inc. and I found myself energized.

Support Group
A total of 600 bloggers--men and women aged 18 and above--participated in the survey.

About 48 percent of the bloggers revealed that they kept a blog because "it serves as a form of therapy" while around 40 percent stated that blogging "helps them keep in touch with family and friends."

Bill Schreiner, Vice President and General Manager of Community Programming for America Online, observed: "In a way, blogs serve as oral history. When it comes to sharing blogs and reading other people's blogs, we like to connect with people, learn about their lives, and find common ground."

Empowering Trend
An inspiring CNN article affirms blogging's therapeutic benefits. In it, journalist Anna Jane Grossman cites the results of the polls done by the Pew Internet and American Life Project in 2006. The results revealed that "roughly 12 million Americans have blogs...and many seem to use them as a form of group therapy."

Grossman goes on to highlight bloggers who have used blogging to help them come to terms with life-changing tragedies.

Indeed, many blogs have transformed into informal support groups. They range from the low-key Everyone Needs Therapy to the bold and busy TreeHugger.

Blogs like these serve to inspire others to come up with sites that have an impact and can also hopefully make a difference in other people's lives.

Yes, there's room for fun posts. But I think if there's an opportunity to do good through one's blog, one should use it.

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Clean Slate. A desk that's not weighed down by paper increases productivity.

I recently cleaned up my apartment (for real) and I was amazed at the amount of paper I had accumulated in a little over a year. Though I'm a big fan of paper products, the frightening sight of three garbage bags loaded with paper got me thinking about going paperless.

Sometime ago, Microsoft bigwig Bill Gates caused a fuss when he declared that his office was 90 percent paperless. In the same Fortune magazine interview, he emphasized that losing the paper trail had a "great impact on productivity."

I may have dismissed his anti-paper drive when he first came out with it, but I'm checking out his tips now:

1. Make room for your desktop. Gates claims that his actual desktop is free of clutter. How does he do this? Well, he's got his workload segregated on three computer screens. According to John Peddie Research, Gates' multi-screen technique increases productivity by 20 to 30 percent--as having multiple screens saves you from window switching and resizing.

Then again, not everyone can afford having multiple screens on their desk. In lieu of actual computer screens, you can do it better than Gates by using virtual desktops that segregate work into different workspaces. Sounds complex? Not at all. Just download Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop Manager (Windows XP) or VirtueDesktops (Mac OS X).

2. Use email to get things done. Utilize the free online storage space that comes with your email to keep important documents handy wherever you go. Likewise, you could get rid of the avalanche of Post-Its by using your email as a virtual calendar or planner through free web-based services like Yahoo! Calendar and Windows Live Calendar.

3. Make your email sift itself. Gates is all for filtering emails. We oftentimes receive emails less important than others. These less priority mails steal our attention from the task at hand. They can be filtered to be read at a later time so that our focus remains on the task we have at the moment. For Yahoo! Mail, for instance, there is the filter management page.

Knowing where these tips come from, I'm certainly considering them very seriously. I guess curbing my paper obsession is a small price to pay in order to fire up my productivity. To make sure that Gates had it right, I'll keep track of my paperless progress through the Daily Target Praxis.

Credits: Image of ergonomic desk courtesy of Spacify.com.

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Hidden Wealth. Putting away a year's worth of loose change may add up to unexpectedly-huge savings.

A week ago, I started reading Marisha Pessl's novel, Special Topics in Calamity Physics, which I had borrowed from my workmate, Meg. I was really getting into the novel when a crisp $10 bill floated out from between the book's pages.

Out-of-the-Box Savings
Bemused, I tucked it back in the first page and finished reading the novel. Later when I returned the book, I told Meg what I'd found.

She shrugged and admitted that she used whatever came handy as a bookmark. A photo, or her shopping list... Sometimes it would be whatever bill she had on her at the time.

Knowing that she was a proud bookworm, I became curious about just how much money we would actually find hiding in her bookshelf. I was amazed to learn that her "book deposits" added up to about $800 last year.

"It's not hard to save up when you think you're not doing it," Meg told me. "Some of my friends think I'm nuts to stash bills into my books. But, hey, I had an extra $800 last year. That's not bad at all."

Hidden Rewards
Meg's financial philosophy--if you can call it that--is echoed by Walter Updegrave, author of How to Retire Rich in a Totally Changed World: Why You're Not in Kansas Anymore. As such, he lists the ways through which we can "fool" ourselves into saving money:

1. Hide the Money. Money you don't see is likely money you won't spend. Updegrave suggests signing up for an automatic investment plan. This service is actually offered by most mutual fund companies. Once set-up, money will be automatically transferred from your checking account to your chosen mutual fund.

2. Stash unexpected windfalls. Instead of spending your refunds or rebates, deposit them into your savings account as soon as you receive them. You might be surprised how much you will end up saving this way.

3. Keep paying off a debt--even after you've completed payments. Once you're done paying off your debts, keep writing checks you can deposit to your investment or savings account. Since you're so accustomed to paying this amount off anyway, this "extra" money can go a long way towards helping you achieve your financial goals.

Small Start, Big Rewards
Updegrave's (and Meg's) advice gives me some hope. You see, I'm not too strong in the savings department. I really need to figure out what kind of saving strategy will work for me. Fooling myself into saving my cash may be the answer to my dilemma.

For starters, I'm now off to empty out my coin jar. Since I don't spend the spare change, I'm hoping that there's at least a $20 in there. Hopefully, this would be start of a habit that would give me the best reward of all: financial management smarts. Because I sure need it. (Or maybe I really just ought to re-read Simpleology 102's the First Law of Money: The Law of Input and Output.)

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

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Don't go this way. In the film, Jerry Maguire, the lead character commits every resignation etiquette gaffe and burns his bridges in a matter of minutes.

When Mark Joyner interviewed me way back in May, one of the questions he asked was why I had resigned from my previous jobs. I simply said, "I didn't feel I'd be learning anything more if I had stayed."

Play Nice
My answer to Mark's question was true but--as anyone who's worked in several companies will tell you--there are bosses who treat you as if you were less than human.

Still, I bit my tongue to keep from saying anything that'd make Mark think I'd badmouth bosses and workmates every chance I get.

Yes, there were a couple of places I worked in that "traumatized" me, but thank God I listened to my dad advice to always be a gentleman when you hand in your resignation notice. "Don't burn bridges," he told me years ago, when I quit working for a newspaper.

That has proven to be one good advice.

Burn Notice
I wish, though, that other people would heed my dad's advice.

Just the other day, my friend Dan was all puffed up with pride about causing a fuss on his last day at his old office. Things had gotten so bad there that all he could think of was how lucky he was to be getting out. When five o'clock struck, he actually fist-pumped a triumphant "Yes!" as he walked past his co-workers' desks.

Of course, I congratulated him on his new-found freedom, but I couldn't help but think that it wasn't very wise of him to have done something that may have completely burned his bridges. His is a very specialized industry and it was likely he'd be running into his former bosses and colleagues in the future.

Resign Right
So, is there really is a right way to make a graceful exit from a job? Here's what career management expert Karyl Innis, CEO of The Innis Company, has to say:

1. Do it in person. Innis says it's best to pick a time when your boss is alone and isn't busy. She adds, "Bring your letter of resignation with you and explain that you have something important to discuss. Then hand her the letter and explain what's in it--that you're resigning and when your last day will be." Innis suggests giving at least two weeks' notice.

2. Don't whine. "People tend to discount the views of departing employees who haven't spoken up previously," says Innis. You might just come across as sourgraping or bitter.

3. Watch your email. Once it's known at the office that you're leaving, be careful what you tell others... especially over email. Your message will be very easy to forward and might even... gasp!... reach the CEO's inbox.

4. Do a proper turnover. Make sure to tie up any loose ends. You'll leave a good impression if all documentation or files are in order, with a memo explaining the status of your projects and anything else the person taking over will need to know.

5. Say thank you. No matter why you're leaving, keep your goodbye's friendly. You don't have to concoct an elaborate tale, but a simple "thanks for the opportunity" or "I learned a lot here" will go a long way.

If you're leaving the company anyway, why put in all this effort, you ask? Well, your old boss may actually know your next one or... you never know, you may even find yourself back in the same company again. If that's the case, their last impression of you can be just as important as the first.

Like my dad said, "Don't burn bridges." Take his advice. I'm sure glad I did because it eventually led me to a job that makes me happy. How? A former workmate whom I had stayed in touch with had given me the tip about the job opening. Now, I'm enjoying working with people who don't feel the need to play dirty to get ahead. (Plus, I have a boss whom I can needle when his favorite basketball team loses to mine.)

Posted by Bean Jones at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Fiber Fever. Vegetables are fiber-rich. Get a load of them as much as you can.

If you think you're already getting enough fiber if you take in the recommended 25 to 30 grams of fiber each day...you're in for a shock--albeit a pleasant one. Experts are now saying that more is better.

Get More
A study by Harvard researchers, which was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, suggests that heart disease can be slashed by 10 to 30 percent for each 10 grams of fiber you eat a day. Delicious fiber-rich treats include oatmeal (4.1 grams per cup), apples (3 grams each), and black beans (14.4 grams per cup).

Thus, the more fiber you get, the more your heart is protected.

"Fiber--found in fruits, vegetables, grains, and cereals--has long been shown to reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol," states Los Angeles-based health and fitness writer Steve Stiefel in "Fiber Fantastic."

Various Sources
There are two primary types of fiber: soluble (water-soluble) and insoluble.

You can get soluble fiber from all sorts of fruits, oats, barley, legumes, and root crops. Soluble fiber encourages the growth of healthy bacteria that aid in digestion.

Meanwhile, insoluble fiber is the "crunchy" kind of fiber. You can get this from whole wheat, brans, nuts, seeds, and some vegetables (such as celery and green beans). They pass from one end of the digestive tract to the other end virtually unchanged. This type of fiber does "a clean sweep" of your digestive tract.

Multifunctional Health
Aside from improving colon function, fiber also has other roles:

1. It improves protein absorption. Since fiber slows down the rate at which proteins move through the digestive tract, your body is able to maximize its protein absorption capabilities. This will help you build more muscle.

2. Fiber curbs weight gain and cholesterol levels. "When you slow down digestion, especially of carbs, the body is able to metabolize them more efficiently," says health and fitness expert Jeff Feliciano. "Soluble fiber helps carbohydrates to be used for [energy production] rather than to be stored as body fat." The slow delivery of carbs into the bloodstream keeps insulin levels from spiking too high, which is another way that fiber prevents the storage of fat." Plus, fiber can trap bile acids that might otherwise be absorbed and converted into cholesterol.

3. Fiber builds immunity. "By providing your body with plenty of fiber, you help it remove harmful bacteria, viruses, and allergens that may otherwise enter your body," notes Feliciano.

Slowly but Surely
If you're not currently eating as much fiber as you should, Feliciano advises that you increase your consumption gradually, adding two to three grams per day each week.

Thus, he suggests, if your current fiber intake is at 10 grams per day, you should begin taking in 12 grams on Week 1, 14 grams on Week 2, 16 grams on Week 3...and so on...until your daily intake is at 30 grams or more. At the same time, increase your water consumption since fiber works more effectively with liquids.

By taking in more fiber, you increase your chances of staying healthy at all times. Moreover, you also get to eat the right kinds of food to energize you.

Credits: Photo by Scott Bauer, courtesy of the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service.

Posted by Bean Jones at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Officially Funny. Scenes from the popular TV show The Office show the many faces of stress at the workplace.

No matter how happy your workplace is, there will be days when the pressure's on and you find yourself barely breathing. You end up not being able express your thoughts clearly, skipping lunch, snapping at your workmates over petty things, or, worse, having a meltdown.

You don't have to see a psychiatrist to find out if you're going nuts. All you have to do is learn some do-it-yourself stress management tips. Here are three moves you can do right at your desk:

Press pause. When you're juggling too many things, your communication skills take a dive. But don't overcompensate for your temporary "blank brain" by saying too much. To make your point at work, try talking less. "Speak concisely, then stop," says Molly Dickson Shepard, author of Stop Whining and Start Winning. "Silence allows your message to resonate."

Laugh Attack. If you're right in the thick of a make-or-break work project, take time to trade jokes with a friend or view some funny video clips. A few moments of laughter can do wonders for your disposition and your productivity. Laughter has a way of renewing your spirit.

Mail Cheer. The most productive people know when to take short breaks. In a study cited by Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, office workers who respond to e-mails from friends and family while working on stressful tasks may be productive in the long run. Taking short breaks alleviates boredom and lifts energy.

These three stress-busting moves certainly don't require much. Hopefully, they'll inspire every stressed-out person to manage the stress levels at work before they get out of hand.

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