Q: Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by covering it with aluminum foil. Rinse the sweet potatoes under cool, running water and use a vegetable brush to scrub away as much visible dirt as possible. Pierce each sweet potato several times using the tines of a fork. Do not peel the sweet potatoes during this step. You'll remove the skins after the spuds have finished baking. Piercing the sweet potatoes should help regulate the distribution of heat, preventing the sweet potatoes from bursting while they cook. Try to make four to seven sets of piercings, and position the holes evenly around the entire spud. Place the sweet potatoes on your prepared baking sheet, then place the baking sheet into the preheated oven. Roast the sweet potatoes for 40 to 50 minutes. When ready, a fork inserted into the center of the thickest sweet potato should glide all the way through without resistance. The sweet potatoes should also give a little when squeezed in the center. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven. Set them aside for about 5 minutes, or until they are cool enough to safely handle with your bare hands. Cut a slit into skin of each sweet potato using a knife. Then, peel the entire skin away using your fingers. When fully roasted, the skins of the sweet potatoes should loosen and peel away without much effort. You shouldn't need to use a vegetable peeler or knife. Work carefully, however, to avoid burning your hands. If you have difficulty peeling the skins away, you can cut the sweet potatoes open lengthwise and use a spoon to dig out the flesh, leaving the skins behind. Place the flesh of the sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Lightly mash the sweet potatoes with a fork. Gradually add the milk and butter, working in small increments and mashing after each one. Stop when the mash reaches your desired consistency. If you prefer chunky sweet potatoes, you should add very little (if any) milk and minimal butter, and continue mashing the spuds with a fork or potato masher. If you prefer creamy mash, use the full amount of milk and butter and beat the sweet potatoes using an electric hand mixer or immersion blender. Add 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt and 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) pepper, or adjust the amounts to fit your sense of taste. If you would prefer another flavor profile, however, skip the salt and pepper and add the appropriate set of seasonings instead. Sweeten the mash with the conventional autumn flavors of maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Try mixing in some salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder to create a more savory dish. Spice things up by adding a few dashes of chilli sauce, along with some cinnamon and nutmeg to balance the flavor. The sweet potato mash is ready and best enjoyed while hot.
A: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Wash and pierce the sweet potatoes. Roast the sweet potatoes until tender. Cool slightly. Peel the sweet potatoes. Mash the sweet potatoes with milk and butter. Season as desired. Serve immediately.

Q: One of the key traits of ambitious people is that they are able to stay focused on goals. This requires self-discipline. It means working toward your goal even though you don't always feel like working. It means hitting the books when you'd rather sit on the couch and watch television. One way to improve your discipline is to have a routine, making time for your goals every day. If you're in school, for example, treat it like a day job: every day you will either be at class or studying from 8am to 5 pm. Develop habits that further your goals. Wake up earlier, for instance, or, for the budding professor, read literature in your spare time. At the same time, nix habits that are undermining you. If you are constantly distracted by the internet, turn off your wi-fi when you need to work. Make the time. If urgent tasks are keeping you from your plan, make time to devote to your goals. Wake up earlier and spend an extra hour on it every day. Use your spare time on weekends or in the evenings. While on the road to your long-term goals, you should periodically review where things stand. Sometimes, we find that our wants and desires change over time. Maybe you started on the path to becoming an opera singer but, after a time, found that you just don't like it as much as you once did. It might be time to rethink your goal. Sometimes goals need a complete reboot. Opera didn't work out. You may have to reassess what you want in life. Go back to your long-term vision and ask whether anything has changed. Reconsider your ambitions. At other times, our goals might only need minor tweaks. Say you took a killer class on comparative literature in college. You still want to study English, but also Spanish literature. Your overall goal is mostly the same, but you've just changed a small point of focus. Part of the joy of achieving your dream is in the ride. Enjoy it. Make sure to celebrate when you move a bit closer to your long-term goal. Have you graduated with a Masters' degree? Go out for a fine dinner with champagne! Recognizing progress helps us to stay motivated, particularly when the long-term goal is a work of years or decades. Whether large or small, celebrating progress better allows you to stay motivated and to keep your eyes on the long-term prize. Some studies show that we get more motivation if we see these steps as learning opportunities rather than just as a means to our goal. When you review your progress, focus on what you've learned and how you've grown rather than just on what you've accomplished.
A: Practice self-discipline. Review your goals periodically. Celebrate progress.

Q: Hold the file along the flat portion of your nail to make the edge as smooth as possible. Move it in short, horizontal motions, making sure that you always guide it in the same direction. Avoid moving it back and forth, or else you could make your nails weaker. Try to use a new emery board, as this will be more effective than an older one. You can also use a glass nail file, which is easy on your nails. When you rip or tear at your hangnails, you create an open wound, which increases your risk of infection. Instead, use nail clippers to clip along the base of the hangnail. Don't chew off hangnails. Along with the ripping of your nail or skin, chewing them off transfers bacteria from your mouth directly into the wound. Your nails will be a lot cleaner and stronger when they're maintained properly. Since cuticles protect your nail bed from bacteria, you don't want to trim or chew them off in any way. When you pick or cut at your cuticles, you increase your risk of infection, which will make your nails much less healthy overall. Rub a pea-sized amount of oil into each finger, making sure that it completely covers each cuticle. Use your hands to rub the oil into each cuticle. Use this product whenever you paint your nails, as it makes it easier and safer to push your cuticles back. You can also use cuticle oil as a regular moisturizer. You can find it at most beauty stores.
A:
Use an emery board to buff your nails in a consistent direction. Clip your hangnails so you won't damage your skin or nail bed. Avoid cutting or picking at your cuticles. Nourish your cuticles with cuticle oil.