fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Take Breaks If You Want To Win
Tags: Self Improvement, Life Hacking, Productivity, Mindset, Motivation

A mini-guide for avoiding burnout while increasing your output

In a world where “faster” is considered “better” and your productivity is the pin number to your wealth and success. People are praised for their accolades and medals and their trophies adorn their walls. Working yourself to the bone is normalized and we often hear the phrase “Keep going, if you stop now, you’ll never finish the race.” If we were actually running a race, maybe it is not exactly recommended to stop where we are-but within the context of our lives, we must ask ourselves why are we in such a hurry? Why are we even running? Sure, getting things done quickly proves that we are elite strategists on the exterior. When things that we touch are accomplished in record-breaking time this may be overtly efficient, but at what price?

The key question: At what point do we establish the hedges between zeal and overwork?

It’s the corporate indoctrination that envelops our sole purpose. Our self-worth begins to entwine with our essential daily outputs and this often results in mentally beating ourselves up when we don’t attempt to achieve our lengthy to-do-lists. While it’s not an excuse to keep letting yourself slide every day, finding your own metronomic pace in life and learning to balance this with the instinct of when to take a pause is vital.

The first step is learning to listen to your body. If you are feeling aching shoulders and your eyes are wanting to close with each email that you send, this is your body signaling you to take a pause.

For example, The Draugiem Group in Latvia, tracked employee times clocking in-and-out and their collective productivities via software. With data analysis, the top ten percent most productive employees took more breaks in comparison with their coworkers who completed less work. Roughly estimated the high producers worked for 52 minutes and took 17-minute breaks. While this is an example of how breaks can increase productivity, the right system in place based on your needs, energy levels, and workspace can make all the difference in achieving higher productivity at your job or after work, when you’re working on your heart-fulfilling passion projects.

Depending on where you are, take some time for yourself to either take a nap, read, listen to a new podcast, learn how to cook a new meal etc. whatever it is that you remotely find interesting.



If you are already applying these principles, maybe the burnout or lack of interest is not because you aren’t taking enough pauses. The daily grind that you’re experiencing is grinding on your goals and your hope for a life that involves using your full-scale talents and abilities.

The only person or circumstance that is stopping you is you. If your current routine is leaving you feeling drained and unmotivated, it’s time to develop new strategies and habits to keep you moving.

Everyone is deserving of life worth living.
You’re Asking the Wrong Questions
By: Steven Meree
Tags: Life Hacking, Productivity, Life, Life Lessons, Society

The global community faces several key challenges; these challenges are being addressed in an ineffective manner. This is an issue that needs to be solved quickly.

If you are against gun violence, the problem is not whether to limit the purchase or distribution of firearms, it’s how to create an impregnable shield. This would not only render the argument moot but would also provide for the safety of the millions living in war zones every day.

Another prime example is climate change; the agony of trying to get regulations passed is enough to make grown men cry. Accordingly, the question being asked is whether or not corporations should be restricted in their activities, and the question that should be asked is how to create a device that can be deployed somewhere outside of regulation. This device would be capable of reversing climate change, and this solution would make more progress than anyone could dream.

Finding creative, alternative solutions to problems will become increasingly more important as the problems we face as a society grow more complex and far-reaching; you don’t have to be an engineer to help solve these problems. You can help solve large problems by evaluating the deep assumptions you hold about key issues.

In summary, by asking deep questions about how the world works, we can create a world that is safe and prosperous for everyone.
Becoming You
By: Kelsey Fish
Tags: Self Improvement, Life Hacking, Passion, Change, Discovery

Everyone tells you to be yourself, but what happens when you don’t know who “you” is?

Photo by N. on Unsplash

I like to think of self-discovery as a scavenger hunt. You may find yourself doubling back time after time, struggling to decipher each piece of the puzzle to get to the end result.

Eventually though, you will get there. IF you give yourself time and the energy to do so.

What I have found is that most people give up too easily. They find that the scavenger hunt requires them to do more than lift up a rock, or solve a simple riddle. It requires deep thought, trial and error. And for whatever reason, people love to give up on themselves, especially when the gratification is delayed.

We are taught from a very young age that talent/greatness=the ability to get something done quickly. That kid who mastered a lay-up in just two practices? Talented. The kid who took a whole season? Not so much.

But I call bullshit.

Photo by Cullan Smith on Unsplash

What we need to teach is talent/greatness=passion. That’s not to say that every person who loves basketball will end up playing professionally, but I know plenty of people who play pick-up ball and are insanely good, and still manage to have a life outside of the sport.
Morning Energy Tip #3: Consistency, Man!
By: Daniel P. Donovan
Tags: Personal Growth, Morning Routines, Personal Development, Life Hacking, Morning

Morning Energy Tip #3: Consistency, Man!

If you’re waking up with ZERO energy every day, then it’s likely a little dab of consistency will do ya good.

Consistency in what way? Glad you asked!

What I’m talking about here is consistency with your bed AND wake times. That means (1) bed at the same time every night, and (2) awake at the same time every morning.

Notice how I’m not giving you specific times here.

And the reason for that is because what works for one person isn’t necessarily going to work for YOU. So you need to decide what’s going to work best for your particular situation.

Just don’t forget about Morning Energy Tip #1 while you do.

Okay, so you know what time you need to wake up. As a result, you should also know when to go to bed, too.

Now what?

Well… consistency, man!

Now you’ve gotta stick to it every day.

And yes, I said EVERY DAY.

This isn’t something you can stop doing on the weekend.

Nor is it something you can approach all willy-nilly.

No no — the key here is to stick with these times every single day until it becomes a new habit for you.

And as your body adjusts, so will your energy.

But that will ONLY happen if you stay consistent with it.

So set your bedtime.

Set your awake time.

And stick with it every day.

If you do, you’ll be waking up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in no time.
Find the Topics Your Medium Story was Curated into Automagically
Tags: Marketing, Python, Life Hacking, Writing, Reading

Prerequisite

We will use the programming language Python to make a little script to automagically return the topics your story was curated into. So make sure you have Python installed on your laptop. If it isn’t preinstalled you can download and install it from python.org.

Script

The script to automate the process of finding the topics for your story is just a few lines of code. I tried to keep things as easy and terse as possible.

import requests, sys def main(url):

topics = requests.get(url).text.split('Topic:')

if len(topics) > 1:

print([topic.split('"')[0] for topic in topics[1:]])

else:

print('-') # no topics found if __name__ == "__main__":

main(sys.argv[1])

Save this script to a plain text file and use .py as file extension. I chose topics.py as file name for this demo.

Demo

Running the script is pretty straightforward. It only needs the URL of your story as argument. Run the command below from a terminal or command prompt.

python3 topics.py <url>

Replace the text <url> with the URL of your story on Medium and you are good to go. And as you can see, the topics the story as curated into are automagically returned.
What to Say Instead of “Sorry”
By: The Why Girl
Tags: Self Improvement, Personal Growth, Life Hacking, Psychology, Life Lessons

I live in a country where over-apologising seems to be in people’s DNA. I’m also a woman which means that, statistically, I perceive more things as wrongdoings and, therefore, tend to say “sorry” more frequently than men. In short, I apologise more than need and would like to.

Being able to express remorse for our mistakes is an important life skill but I don’t want to throw my sorries left and right without consideration. This is why I’ve started to “un-sorry” myself and I avoid saying the words unless I have a strong and legitimate reason to. The trouble is, oftentimes you need to replace an apology with something — different words or behaviour — and these don’t come naturally if you are a serial apologiser. You need to learn them.

What should you say when another unjustified “sorry” is about to roll off your tongue? Here’s a list of things to try next time.

If you prefer a video version of this story, head here:
Kaleidoscopic Dreams
Tags: Personal Growth, Personal Development, Life Hacking, Mindfulness, Life Lessons

I have always been enchanted by that image of a million colors splashing whenever I close my eyes. As a kid, I used to believe that it is magic. A part of me still want to believe that it is magic. Unfortunately the adult self know that it's a phenomenon called Phosphene and we are not wired in a way to forget things that we want to forget. Nevertheless I find that it is a fascinating way to be present at the moment. I squeeze my eyes in different ways and try to produce different patterns and colors. At that moment, I never think of anything else. All I want to see is the most amazing patterns and the only regret is that I cannot capture that beauty in any way.

Until now, I never thought of it as something that makes me feel grounded. Today after a session of playing with this phenomenon, it struck me that I briefly forgot about everything else in the world. During that time, the only thing mattered was the changing patterns inside my head. I have been practicing meditation for a few months to calm down my overactive mind. Even though it has helped me in its own way, I never experienced this sort of complete presence while doing meditation. In that mode, it is more about being aware of what thoughts comes to me and how I need to let it go. Even though this peacefulness was not new to me, I never associated it with being present and mindful.

It got me thinking that may be all of our life's problems can be resolved if we keep a child like enthusiasm with us. We don't need elaborate morning routines or exclusive guidance from the meditation gurus. All we need to do is to point our internal compass to the emotions we used to have as kids and channel it properly.
Limitless
By: Enos Jeba
Tags: Life Hacking, Life, Happiness, Life Lessons, Motivation

“Why does everything has to end?”

The question crossed my mind was what left me clueless.

“THE SKY IS THE LIMIT”

This was the famous saying which I frequently heard in my high school. I hate theories. I hated people speaking on big theories. I hated he teacher who taught those theories. The question that always raised on my mind was it them who discovered or invented these theories?. The problem was not the theories but they stay un-updated. A useless old junk of knowledge which has now been carved into a structure is always identified but the hard-work is always hidden behind the curtains.

WHAT HAS LIMITS TO DO WITH THEORIES?

A limit is not a limit until someone tells that it is a limit and it should never be crossed. Limits never exist. It is the society that brings Limits into existence. You can reach the horizon. You can beat the clock only if you remove that limit out of your mind. It is easy to achieve anything you wish for, with passion. Passion for making things work. Passion to be a leader. Passion is the key to unlock your limits. When it is passion it is not the problem in which you fail but it is the problem in which you learn.

I wanted to build my own company. I grabbed ideas from various personalities. I was very much into achieving my dream. Unfortunately there was no place where I could plant my thesis. No matter where , i was given a set of rules which i had to follow or in other words i was given the rubber band but I could not stretch it. It was tough for to be like that. LIMITATION was the main reason why i hated education. They never allowed us to think out of the box. It was unusual for me to stay in an environment function according to some old belief with no changes. I wanted to achieve.

“REACH FOR THE SKY, BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU FAIL YOU WILL STILL BE AMONG THE. STARS”

A dream is as important aspect in life to live the desired life. Limitations provoke creativity if we see it in proper aspect. It is a rare co-incidence. I liked ideas. We can do whatever we prepare ourselves to do. It is not what you dream, It is how much you give into your dream. It is really challenging to break limits if you are enclosed with mind influenced by surrounding. Limits are easy to break and so does any task which you need to accomplish. The simple formula is 80% ‘WHY’ and 20% ’HOW’. My limitation was Education. I hated the system. I wanted to destroy it. The only way I can is ignore it and excel in whatever field your talent is. God gave all of us equal amount of talent. The sad part is education does not respect your talent.

“Kill them with kindness” I don’t know who said this but this is the best type of revenge which you can offer your enemy which is more satisfying than any other harm you tend to do.

Push the limits ahead, Break records, When opportunity doesn’t knock you, build a door.

Be successful.
You don’t need anyone to give you the greenlight.
By: Dilan Espinosa
Tags: Life Hacking, Learning, Self, Self Love, Lifestyle

Stop waiting for others to do anything you want to do.

Photo by Aleksandra Boguslawska on Unsplash

Have you ever wanted to do something really bad but didn’t want to do it alone because you either felt embarrassed being alone or lonely? If you have, don't worry… it happens to all of us.

The other day, I was planning on meeting up with friends to grab a drink at some rooftop bar after work. It was Friday and I was excited to take a break from a long week. 3 o'clock rolls around and I texted my friends to confirm if they were still on for the rooftop bar at 6 o'clock. No response. So I had a decision to make; either go back home, text some other friends to see what they were doing, or go by myself.

Can you guess what I did?

If you guessed, spontaneous helicopter ride around NYC… you guessed correctly.

I know what you’re thinking… how did you go from planning on drinking at a rooftop bar to taking a helicopter tour around NYC. Because at that moment when I got no response from my friends, I thought to myself… “Why do I need anyone else besides myself to have fun?” So I thought of the craziest, most spontaneous thing I could think of and just said “Fuck it.”

And it was one of the best experiences of my life.

When we put our power and control in the hands of others, they control our destiny. When we choose to decide for ourselves and go after what we want… our lives change for the better. Don't allow the fear of being alone stop you from chasing those moments of spontaneity and adventure. Take that flight to Florida or the Bahamas. Go to that rooftop bar you've always to check out. Drive to that one hipster coffee shop and read a book.

The point is… don't allow people to hold you back from truly doing what you want to do. You don't need anyone’s company to travel around the world or a friend to go with you to that one place you've always wanted to check out. If your friends cancel plans with you last minute and you really wanted to go to that one particular place… STILL, GO. If they don't want to go… STILL, GO. Trust me… resentment sucks at the end… so muster up the courage and enjoy the plans with yourself. You never know who you might meet or the experiences you’ll have.
What is the Opposite of Stress?. Today, I am very busy. As a result, I…
By: Chelsea R.
Tags: Stress, Happiness, Life Lessons, Life Hacking

Photo by Miti on Unsplash

Today, I am very busy. As a result, I am very stressed. Or so, that is the causality that is usually assigned to stress. There is too much to do, and there is too little time.

If you ask someone what the opposite of stressed is, the answers of relaxed, peaceful, calm may arise. But how many occasions arise in which any of these terms can translate into your working life, academic life, or parental life?

The answer is that there are very few stressful occasions or tasks that can be fixed by just staying calm. Instead, what you may be seeking as the opposite to stress may be something very different.

The first opposite of stressed could be confident. Does the task give you stress by simply existing? Or by challenging you in a way that you aren’t familiar with? If this is the case, instead of trying to relax, try to build your confidence. Assess your strengths and reorganize based on your skills, accomplish sub-tasks or alternative tasks to build your momentum, repeat a mantra to enforce an empowered mindset. The second opposite of stressed could be understanding. Stress often arises from trying to perform tasks that you do not understand. Rather than seeking peace, instead seek understanding. Break down the situation into its simplest parts and put your questions and conflicts on paper to confront. Once you know what you don’t know, devise a step-by-step plan that can help you to find the answers. The third opposite of stressed could be grateful. People tend to become frustrated when they are “wasting time” performing tasks that they consider to be meaningless or tedious. Perhaps you are taking for granted that you have a job, are pursuing studies that you enjoy, or have a home to take care of. My least favorite thing to do is to wash the dishes, but rather than feeling stressed at the idea of performing that task, I strive to express my sincerest gratitude to the sink for clean water, each dish for serving food that provides nourishment and delight, and the soap for washing away bacteria and making it safe to eat. The fourth opposite of stressed could be nourished. What did you eat today? How much water did you drink? How did you sleep last night? When is the last time that you stretched, exercised, or took a deep breath? If you are introverted, when was the last time you took time to yourself? If you are extroverted, when was the last time you planned some time out? Ask yourself what you need right now that you haven’t been giving yourself. These things will provide you with what you need to go about your life without stress.

The next time that a task or occasion makes you feel stressed, ask yourself the real reason in order to develop a plan to overcome it. What is the opposite of your stress?
It’s important
Tags: Life Lessons, Philosophy, Life Hacking

We keep trying to fight chaos like it’s a battle we can win.

Love the storm and the rainbow, it’s important.

Depression is at an all time high these days, and a good percentage of the blame should be charged to fairytales. I love a good fairytale more than the average person, but it encourages this false sense that one day we will find happiness elsewhere. Therein lies the problem, thinking happiness is something to be “found” like a lost earring or glass slipper.

We don’t allow ourselves enjoy the present. Life can be not so good but you’re happy, likewise life can be good but you’re unhappy. It all boils down to our approach. We need to learn to enjoy the uncertainty. Peeling back the layers and discovering what life is, who people are, who we are. It’s a daily discovery, realizing that we are not our situations, realizing what choices make us whole, what makes others whole; to be invested in being happy in the present.

But we try to rush it. And at the faintest sign of chaos, we run. Why do we forget that even Cinderella had to make the most of an unfortunate situation? Allowing things to melt into life’s natural rhythm is how emotional security is built. There is no rule book that swears consistency in life. The security that happiness can be with us as we continue faithfully on whichever path we choose, that is the only consistency. Beautiful things happen sometimes, but contentment if they don’t.

We can’t control life but we can control our approach to it.

Best wishes,

Osumalaka
7.5 Reasons Why Winter Running is So Worth The Suck
By: Tim Ebl
Tags: Self Help, Life Hacking, Running, Fitness, Running Tips

Why run outside in the winter? You don’t have to do it. It sucks out there, right? You could go find a Dreadmill, or just take a break and do some other sort of workout. It could be a great chance to work on your core strength and such.

But some of us will just slack off and work on a different kind of fitness. Like fit-n-this whole pizza in my mouth. Ten donut reps followed by a Netflix sprint. The 100-yard saunter.

“I’ve been avoiding exercise so long, you might say I’m in the Fitness Protection Program” — Unknown

Let’s keep going this winter instead. Don’t throw away all your gains from the year just because it snowed a little or got chilly out.

Here are 7.5 reasons why winter running might be a good choice for you. Put down that donut, back away from the screen and get out that door!

Disclaimer: Safety first! Make sure you know how to keep out of trouble on your winter run. Be prepared.
Nine Harsh Life Lessons To Learn Before 25
By: Amy Swift
Tags: Dating Advice, Life Hacking, Life, Dating, Life Lessons

When I was 25, there were tons of pieces of advice, some were funny (like what I put in my Quora answers) and some were more harsh. Now that I’m 30, I find myself sharing these same words, hoping to help share advice that can help people who want themselves to be stronger.

credit: @acharki95

So here I wrote a post on what life lessons that I’ve learned in my 20s and want more people to know before they turn 25 or 30.
Give Yourself Story
By: Stig Terrebonne
Tags: Leadership, Self Improvement, Life Hacking, Life Lessons, Sunday

Now it’s Sunday and I can’t help but feel like everything just isn’t adding up.

Everyday I get up to do thingys, to fall sleep feeling like I went nowhere.

So we get up day in and day out — and for what?

Because it’s our story.

It’s how we see ourselves in the world. It’s how your life plays out. It’s how you fit into culture. It’s how humans have learned for centuries. It’s how we explain each other.

It’s your past, and how that effects your life now.

It’s how your job, family, hometown, friends, and hobbies make you, you.

We unknowingly hold these stories in our head, and it often works against us.

So let’s change that. Give yourself story.

About where you come from.

About the path and adventure you are on.

About your habits.

About what makes you great, capable, and powerful.

About the culture you create.

About lives you change.

About tomorrow and the rest of your life.

Take some time and write, tell, or even think of your life’s story. You call the shots: do it as if nothing could wrong and sky was the limit.

These days I can’t pretend to know what it means to be a young person in the covid, political turmoil, and social uproar world — but what I do know, is that we can be whatever we choose to be. So, here’s to building the past, present and future of us.

If you want a lesson every week, sign up for the newsletter here
5 Steps to Live the Life You Want
Tags: Goals In Life, Life Hacking, Setting Life Goals, Living With Purpose, Your Life Your Choice

5 Steps to Live the Life You Want

Are you the type to daydream the life you want to have but never act on it and eventually forget about it or you just have too many things to do that you never get to prioritize what you really want to achieve? If this is you, these are five steps you can take to finally get to the things you want to do and live the life you want.

Know what you want in life and know the person you want to be. Not what your parents want. Not what your coworkers want. Not what anyone in society wants, but what you actually want. Visualize this. Your time is limited so it’s wise to spend it on things that make you happy. Remember, it is never too late to start on a goal or to change yourself, but start now. Ask yourself what would make you happy. Ask yourself how would the old version of you want to have lived your life? Write it down in your journal. If you don’t have a journal, start one. It can be a physical notebook or an app on your phone, whichever you prefer. Personally, I like to use Evernote and physical notebooks. In your notebook, list down the daily habits your ideal self would practice. Write down the ideal life you want to have and the achievements you want to accomplish. Be as specific as you can be. Start on your goals and habits slowly and do it everyday. You want to start small so that you don’t overwhelm yourself with the changes, but you want to stay consistent. Make sure to visit your notebook to remind yourself of your goals. When it becomes hard to stay consistent (it will be) or if you feel lazy or tired to do what your ideal self would do, check in with yourself. Are you just being lazy or did you commit to too many changes too fast? Do you just need a break? Is what you’re doing actually what you want? Understand how you are feeling and be honest with yourself. Do you need to cut down your goals so it’s more realistic? Don’t be so hard on yourself. The truth is this will take a long time, it could be months or even years. This is something you need to work on every day. Make it a lifestyle. Once you’ve achieved your habits or achievements, you don’t want to stop there. You want to make this a part of your daily life. The things you do every day becomes the life you live so you need to choose to practice what your ideal self would do. In a year’s time, if you choose to stay consistent, you’ll see a difference from when you started. Little changes done consistently add up overtime. It may seem slow but when you look back, you’ll see that you’ve made progress.

It’s all about small consistencies. Make sure to always reflect whether you’re doing what you want. You can scrap what you’ve listed and make a new one or cross some out. Your priorities can change therefore so will your goals. What’s important is you’re taking action, no matter how small or how slow. At least you’re living the life you want and you’re not just daydreaming.
Society, Culture, and Life Articles
By: Jennifer Friebely
Tags: Life Hacking, Life, Culture, Society, Lifestyle

This is a collection of articles relating to society, culture, and life.

My husband died on his birthday in the hospital he was born in. That was nearly eight years ago. I was curious about the odds of dying on your birthday. It turns out — they’re high.

This one’s about my experience working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

I had an article go viral about the Watts family murders — whose story was made into a documentary that went to number one on Netflix the first week it was released. I wanted to understand. Here’s the story of the story.

In response to a challenge to come up with a poem that uses the first letters of a word — taking one from ancestral origin, I chose the Welsh word for idiot.

This story is about how I can’t understand why Chris Watts, who murdered his family — is still getting attention. People are talking about how he “hates the holidays in prison” and I’m wondering why they care.

This story is about Maria Bartiromo — who I feel has sold her soul to Trump and ruined her storied career. I used to have respect for her.

This article is about the place where I live. It’s a new loft building — with a gym and a restaurant — and thin walls. I can hear the neighbors. This story is about that.

This story is about this year’s holiday season and how family really is always there — even if you can’t physically be with them. It’s better to be safe this year.

Dr. Fauci vaccinates Santa Claus!

This article is about trying to find some joy during this “pandemic holiday.”

This article is about The Long Pond Studio Sessions — where Taylor Swift and her co-producers and writers recorded the album “Folklore” after the pandemic restrictions were lifted in September 2020.

This article is about an error I made taking my migraine medicine. It’s a cautionary tale for anyone.

Here’s an article with an interesting method to cut a scary cat’s nails.

This article is about SNL’s amazing job copying VP-elect Kamala Harris’s acceptance suit just three hours after her acceptance speech.

We were finding that when we talked about certain items at home — in front of Alexa (without activating the wake word), we were finding advertisements in other media matching things we were talking about. So we tested it.

I learned that the Netflix documentary on the Chris Watts’ murder of his family left a lot of details out. I explored all of that in this article.

Murder is the leading cause of death for pregnant women. It’s dangerous to be pregnant — especially if your relationship is rocky.

This article explores the whole baby bump craze. There is a baby bump craze.

When this documentary was #1 on Netflix its first week on the platform, I needed to take a look.
6 Obvious Effects of Skipping Exercise For Prolonged Periods
By: Bhavna Narula
Tags: Life Hacking, Health, Exercise, Obesity, Lifestyle

6 Obvious Effects of Skipping Exercise For Prolonged Periods

Weight gain is one of the biggest nightmares for any person. The more you delay, the more difficult it gets to fix it. When I went on a two-week vacation in November, I unknowingly destroyed all my previous weight-loss efforts.

Trust me, nothing can hurt you more than seeing yourself getting out of shape after the amount of hard work put in to achieve a certain standard of fitness level.

So here are some effects you will come across if you skip exercising for a prolonged period. On the days you feel too bored to workout, just go through this article and you will be good to go.
Hey, You: Get Some Sleep
By: Tom Cocco
Tags: Sleep, Self Improvement, Life Hacking, Letter To Myself, Routine

A Letter to Myself — Hey, You: Get Some Sleep

Hey, you. Yea, you. I’m talking to the guy who’s sleeping till 12:00 pm every day. Cut it out.

I get it; I get it. You like coffee, but don’t go blaming the caffeine for your insomnia. It’s simple — put down the hot jo after 2:00 pm. Presto, you feel better.

And exercise? Why don’t you exercise? You know for a fact that running, lifting, jumping up and down all release those essential feel-good chemicals that regulate your daily routine and make you properly tired by the time 11:00 pm rolls around. So why don’t you structure in a thirty-minute slot religiously to get those legs moving?

I know you’ve been making all kinds of excuses, too, and your diet certainly doesn’t help. But let’s get to the true root of the problem: you love television. And you need to stop watching it in your room, with the lights off, till 1:00 am. No one, no one at all is going to be able to fall asleep with that kind of habit. So, instead of Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Youtube, why not try reading a book for twenty minutes? And no, I’m not talking about a work of complicated literature with challenging stylistic choices and esotericism. I’m talking about a solid self-help title, easy-to-read autobiography, or relaxing fictional story. Nothing crazy. Please don’t try reading Ulysses at 11:00 pm.

Regardless, I want to help you out, friend. I want to fix this perpetually latent lifestyle you lead because you always wake up late. And I know that now, more than before, it’s difficult to find opportunities to expel energy and structure your time. But here are a few more tips.

1. Melatonin. Give it a shot. But don’t use it all the time. It’s good for regulating the circadian rhythm back to “normal” parameters. The more you use it, as far as I understand and I’m no scientist and I could be wrong, the less effective it is. I mean, after all, melatonin naturally occurs in your body.

2. Try a podcast or two. One of those put-you-to-sleep ones with slow and melodic narration and subtle, classical soundtracks. That’ll knock you right out.

3. Make your bed in the morning.

4. Stop doing work in your bedroom after 6:00 pm, if possible.

5. Do something with family or close friends in the evening, though understandably this is not always possible.

6. Tea — good ole herbal teas. Ginger or peppermint or one made for that thirty-minute period right before bed.

So, there you have it. Listen, we know the problem and it’s not so difficult to find the reasons for it. Give it a try with these solutions and keep your ears open to new ones. Above all else, get some sleep.
Inspiration Needs Trigger
By: Slavo Petrik
Tags: Life Hacking, Life, Mindfulness, Inspiration, Life Lessons

A few months ago, I took a challenge. Five days. Write one story every day. No topics prepared. Sit-and-write.

The first day was easy. I had a topic in mind. Then it became challenging.

Fingers on the keyboard, browser closed.

2 minutes passed.

Nothing.

5 minutes.

Not a single word.

Millions of ideas passed me by, but no solid starting point. No inspiration.

I’ve decided to write down a random word and start from there.

“Shoelaces”

Surprisingly, my brain got a kick. It was like typing a phrase into the Google search bar.

Some first ideas. Slowly, a solid line emerged.

The first sentence, second…

The energy started to flow. A sentence fueled inspiration for the next one.

I was aiming at a quick story. Here is the result.

Here we go! Inspiration needs a trigger.

This time it was a word. Other times, the inspiration came from the thing itself. Here is what happened last winter on a cold Saturday morning.

I’m a father of two wonderful boys. Three and five.

Like all little boys, they use most of my time during the day. My only chance to stay in shape was to visit the gym early in the morning.

Alarm rang. 6:00 AM. I forgot to switch it off.

S**t happens.

I planned to go to the gym, and I was determined to keep that promise.

I wasn’t inspired but wasn’t angry either. During the week, I went to the gym again.

Surprisingly, the next Saturday, my mind was already waiting for the morning. A glimpse of energy before I put my feet on the floor. I felt inspired to go exercising.

A lot of people tell me. “I have no energy now.” They wait until energy comes and inspiration hit. Don’t do that. It may never happen.

Energy grows by doing things. Inspiration is most of the time triggered, rather than coming by itself out of nowhere.

This was my story of inspiration. What’s yours?

-Slavo
What is the best mode of transport for students?
By: Sofya Polovinkina
Tags: Students, Traveling, Discount, Life Hacking

TRAINS and SUBURBAN ELECTRIC TRAINS

I like going by train, because I can lie down and sleep, and do my homework at the table if I need.

How can you buy tickets cheaper?

RZD offers people to get a bonus card that allows them to accumulate bonuses and pay them for part of the trip. You can find detailed information on the official website https://rzd-bonus.ru/

One more trick I find useful is using discount program by students and postgraduates. They are able to get a discount of 25 percent. You need to get a certificate indicating that you are a student of the university.

You also can get 50 % off if you are a birthday person.

PLANE

If you prefer a plane, I have a few tricks for you too!

Airlines, like the railway company, offer a discount on your birthday. You can find a discounted ticket on holidays.

It is also very important to keep an eye on possible promotions, because there are last minute offers!

I hope this information is useful for you and it will help you choose the best way to travel! If you have got more life hacks, share them with me!

You can contact on Instagram (@polovinkina_) :)
6 tips on why you need to write down your plan on a Calendar
By: Edith Sam
Tags: Calendar, Planning, Life Hacking, Advice, Life

#3 — It doesn’t require a battery, unlike your calendar app.

Your calendar will be quiet. There will be no disruption, no notification, no ads popping out halfway and absolutely no issue of your battery running low. All the events you have written across your calendar will be safe from any digital disruption.

Your life, your daily tasks and your goals are kept safe in the grids of your calendar.

#4- 1 quick glance is all you need to figure out your life

Time is money. Take a good look at your calendar right now. That’s it, you just got your life figure it out Checking on your calendar app will require more than 1 second of your life. You might receive a sudden notification from a friend ranting on her toxic work problem.

#5- Plan your days with an intent

Stick a note with your monthly goal on your calendar.

Swing the kettlebell 100 times on every Tuesday and Thursday Read 10 pages of “Barking up the wrong tree” every Monday night Write an article on Medium every day

With intent, you have a motive to get your tasks done. It will trigger you do it once you have your plans staring into your face.

“I prefer my paper system for a number of reasons. It gives me a break from staring at screens. It also causes me to stay in the moment and plan my days with intent. I feel satisfaction when I physically check an item off my list.” Anjali Khosla

#6 — X marks the sweet spot

The idioms website stated that the origin of “X marks the spot” was put into common usage by the British army, who performed executions by marking a piece of paper with a black x and positioning it on the heart of someone sentenced to death. The acting officer would say “X marks the spot” and the firing squad would shoot the X.

Fortunately, “X marks the spot” is referring to your completed task in our current era. Marking an ‘X’ on a calendar every day means that you have completed the promise you made to yourself in the progress of your goal.

So, Grab one Calendar that you like and write down your plan.

Trust me, it will change your life.
How to Look & Feel Your Best in 2021
By: Michael Kim
Tags: Personal Development, Life Hacking, Lifestyle, Life Lessons, Motivation

Often times, we get so caught up in the daily tasks that we all face and we lose sight of what is most important. What do I eat for breakfast? What will I wear today? How will I complete my work today?

These are all very justifiable questions, and ones that are worthy of asking. However, when we find ourselves slipping into an abyss of tiresomeness and pain, it is worthwhile to take a step back and re-evaluate our daily habits and routines.

For me, I lived 24 years of my life just going with the flow and doing what I have been taught to do. But now that I have been on my own for a while, dropped out of college, and am making $40,000 a month online through entrepreneurship, I realized that the main component to what made my success obtainable wasn’t external.

It was all internal. What I mean by that, is you could have all the money in the world, you could live in the nicest environment, and be around the greatest people. However, if you internally are not in line with these physical properties, you won’t be happy.

When you are not happy, it is impossible to look and feel your best now, later, or ever. So you might be asking, well if I had all of those things, why wouldn’t I be happy? Well, because contrary to what society teaches you, now everything is for everyone.

What I mean by that, is although the ideal that has been planted in your head is to look for a A-B-C life, you, or your “true self” might actually not even want A-B-C… you might be more drawn to D-E-F. You might think you want a burger, but you actually want sushi. You might think you want to watch adventure films, but you might actually want to watch a horror. You get what i’m saying.

But the key point to take away here, is that the only way to truly reach success by feeling and looking your best, is to look at the person staring at you in the mirror and come into terms and agreement with them. You need to understand that just because your dad or your mom likes something, doesn’t mean you have to like them too. Finding yourself and finding what you truly desire, like, TRULY desire… is the key to feeling and looking your best and achieving true happiness.
The Easy Way to Get Better at Something New FAST
By: Daniel P. Donovan
Tags: Personal Growth, Skills, Personal Development, Life Hacking, Skills Development

The Easy Way to Get Better at Something New FAST

Photo by Nicole Geri on Unsplash

How do you get better at something new?

Better yet, how do you get better at something new FAST?

You’d think it’d be hard.

But in truth…

It’s not.

Here’s the thing…

It doesn’t matter what you want to get better at.

Be it writing, dancing, music, math, yoga, meditation, whatever.

It doesn’t matter.

What matters is that you commit to it.

Practice it.

Test it out from different angles.

Immerse yourself as deep as you can go.

What matters is that you try to get better at it every day.

That’s it.

And it doesn’t have to be by much, either.

I’m talking teeny, tiny little bits of improvement.

1% here.

1% there.

1% more every day.

That’s it.

You can improve by 1%, right?

That’s one more note on the guitar.

A couple more words on the page.

A few more strokes on the canvas.

ALL compounding towards your inventible improvement.

Think about that for a moment.

If all you did was wake up and try 1% harder than yesterday…

And you did that every single day for the rest of your life…

In one year, you’ll make it farther than you’ve made it in a decade.

All because you took one more little step than you did the day before.

So if you’re trying to get better at something new…

And you’re trying to get better FAST…

Start practicing today.

Improve by 1% tomorrow.

And within no time at all, you’ll be on your way to mastery.

Now go out there and kick some ass!

Your 1% is waiting for you.
Circular vs. Linear Time
By: Mary Ann
Tags: Life Hacking, Pandemic, Quarantine, Time

Guideposts in the time of Quarantine

At the beginning of last year, Austin Kleon wrote an interesting post about how we perceive time. He contrasted so-called linear time (one thing after another) to circular time (everything returns again and again to a new beginning).

We didn’t know then that our ideas about time and its passage would be challenged during this extraordinary year. Looking back, I’m amazed at the different ways we have approached time during this time of epidemic and quarantine. Remember how we thought March and April were infinite, and how slowly the days and weeks and months seem to pass when the guideposts that used to surround us disappeared?

However, over the months haven’t we developed new guideposts: regular calls with family and friends, continuations of our volunteer activities albeit in a different mode, new or renewed activities like hiking, cooking, baking, or craft, other strategies?

I was intrigued with Austin’s graphic posted above suggesting fresh ways of considering time based on natural phenomena, heartbeats, sunrises, moon phases, seasons, and the return of spring. Do we move into a different mindset when we mark time by sunrises and the turn of the seasons instead of clocks and calendars.

After Our Quarantine Ends

This bizarre time has not come to an end, but many of us are already starting to think about how our lives will change again when this pandemic has been brought under control. What will you return to? What will you do differently? What will you save? What will you jettison?

Will you have a hard time reconnecting with the people and activities you’ve been avoiding, or will you jump into group gatherings, hugging friends and even acquiesces?

Will you keep up those phone calls, FaceTime, or Zoom meetings? Will you send more letters and cards, travel more, just be around other people?

Will you continue to wear a mask to some kinds of events or during certain times of the year, say during next fall’s flu season or when that cold is “going around” among your friends?

Have you thought about the first things you’ll do once you feel safe? When will that be for you?

Let’s talk. Put your thoughts in the comments.

Join Dr Mary Ann’s Academy to receive free periodic emails about my newest projects and get a copy of Dr Mary Ann’s Commonplace Book: https://us15.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=18401eb0914061730c3e330e7&id=d924af200b
The Rhythm of Things
By: Slavo Petrik
Tags: Mindset Shift, Life Lessons, Life, Life Hacking

56 was the number. Fifty-six adapted resumes and cover letters sent within a few weeks.

Result?

Zero.

But, let me give you the full story…

Back in 2009, I was seeking a job in Aerospace Industry. Full steam ahead.

Days spent by writing resumes. In the evenings, my brain refused to switch off. It was like a shower of the same thoughts, day after day. Bzzzzz.

At one point, I even set a goal for the number of companies that I will try. I have submitted my resume to every recruiter in the industry.

I was determined. I was pushing hard.

The vision of working on the software, which flies in Space, was like a magnet. I couldn’t get it out of my head.

After three months, I got some interviews. Most of them fell flat. No click. No match.

And that was the first surprise.

Whenever I went out of doors after an interview, there was that same thought. Quiet and comforting.

“There is something better out there. It’s waiting for you.”

Over the next few months, I got used to that thought.

It kept coming back. Over and over.

I was running out of companies. Job offers in Aerospace don’t appear every day. I was exhausted.

Around that time, I saw a guy on YouTube, talking about action and reaction. Until then, I associated such things only with a large blackboard, chalk, equations, and professors of Physics.

One morning looking through the window on the crowded street, I decided.

Relax. You don’t need that job tomorrow. It is what it is. Perhaps the whole thing wants to have its own rhythm.

In the next couple of weeks, I started to be picky about offers to which I applied. In the following interviews, I was relaxed and just enjoyed the talk.

I told myself that the worst that can happen is that if the interview doesn’t go as I planned, I will have a great talk with interesting people.

Changing the view has changed feelings. It was like something natural and flowing found me.

The interviews changed. People became interested in what I wanted to say. Smiles. Glimpses of enjoyment.

I knew that the dream job is around the corner.

It really was. In September 2015, I started to work for Airbus Defense and Space, developing software for a six-wheeled rover that will land on Mars in 2022.

My dream job found me, exactly when I stopped the madness of counting job applications and treating it just like a number game.

Do you also have the feeling that when you stop pushing things, they somehow start to work better?

-Slavo