However, I’ve long believed that there is no time like the present to make changes in your life that will better it, whatever situation you find yourself in. If you’ve managed to pull through this recession with your head above the water, that’s truly fantastic. If, like many though, you’ve felt its wrath to some degree, you are likely looking for ways to keep more of your hard earned money in your pocket. The truth is that no matter who you are – or how rich you are – saving money always makes sense.

I’m not just talking about tucking some extra funds away for a rainy day, that’s certainly important and something that everyone who can should strive to do. No, in this article I’m going to list numerous everyday sorts of steps that you can easily employee in your life to help you save money on the types of things you usually buy or pay for anyway. I hope that they will help you to make the most of your budget, whatever its size – and whatever shape it’s in.

1. If you don’t already have one, create a budget. Look at your monthly income, determine what your fixed expenses (mortgage/rent, utilities, car payments, insurance, etc) are, deduct a set amount for savings (if possible), put aside whatever you may need to pay down your credit cards with (monthly minimums or more), and then figure out the best way to split what is left between the various things (food, clothing, transportation, entertainment) that you pay for each month. Track what you spend and try to adhere to your budget as best as possible, revising it as needed every few months.

2. Cut out overly frivolous expenses! We each deserve a treat once in a while, but by the same token we can all get by without $5 a day coffees, $30 manicures and $12 cocktails. Reducing or eliminating expenses such as these can make a profound impact on your cash flow and may leave you with more money to put towards important things such as debt repayment, savings or your child’s college fund.

3. Get rid of your old junk! If you haven’t used something in months, no longer like it (or fit into it) and can’t predict a foreseeable use for it in the future, sell it. List items on eBay, etsy (if they’re vintage, retro or homemade), Craig’s List, Kijiji or in the local classified section.

4. Have a lot of extra stuff taking up room? Hold a garage (yard) sale or rent a table (doing so is usually very inexpensive) at a local flea market or swap meet. Make a deal with yourself that whatever doesn’t sell at the sale will be given away to charity or listed for sale online.

5. Eat in more often. Not only will skipping a restaurant meal likely save you money, it can also be healthier. For tons of recipe inspiration check our sites like All Recipes, Recipe Source, Epicurious, , and Chow.

6. Go visit Grandma! Not only will she love to see you, you’ll likely be able to enjoy a home cooked meal or two, thus shaving a few dollars off of your weekly food budget. While there be sure to ask for any tips she might have about how her generation saved money during the Great Depression and WW2.

7. Clip coupons – and actually use them. Buy or make an inexpensive coupon holder to tuck it into your handbag or glove compartment and remember to take it with you any time you shop. Aside from newspapers and flyers, be sure to check out online coupon sites such as Frugal Shopper, Fabulous Savings, and My Savings.

8. Dust off your library card. Even discount book sellers like Amazon can’t compete with the price of library books (free!). Not only do libraries house thousands of books, many of them also loan out movies (and not just nature programs, but actual made-in-Hollywood films), CDs, audio books, and magazines.

9. Make every load of laundry count. Wait until you have a full (or nearly full) load before washing and drying your clothing. This not only saves water, but can also have a positive impact on your utility bills, while helping to stretch your container of laundry soap even further, too.

10. Get something for nothing. Turns out that while a free lunch might still be a myth, a free bike, DVD player or baby stroller may not be, thanks to the Freecycle Network. This online hub with branches in thousands of groups across the world allows members (it’s free to join, naturally) to list and also ask for items they’d like to either give away or get for free. I’ve used it and highly recommend it anyone who loves a getting a truly awesome deal.

11. Take a walk. Leave the car at home and walk to the corner store, local park, beach, museum, whatever happens to be in your neighborhood. Your body will benefit, you’ll get some fresh air and you don’t have to spend a cent.

12. Rent movies online (via sites like NetFlix, Zip and Amazon Video), swap DVDs with friends, or borrow them from your local library instead of going out to the movie theatre.

13. Buy in bulk! Costco and Sam’s Club aren’t just for 50 roll packs of toilet paper, they can also be a great place to stock up on affordable larger sized portions of items your family routinely uses (canned goods, produce, laundry soap, dish soap, paper towels, bread, etc). Ensure that you buy items you’re going to consume and actually need; so as to not actually end up spending more money than if you’d just bought smaller sized packages from the local grocery store.

14. Pack your lunch. Brown bags aren’t just for school kids these days! More and more adults are realizing what a savings you can amass by preparing your daily lunch (and snacks, if applicable) at home and taking them with you to work. Be creative with your meals, don’t be afraid to use leftovers, and invest in a good quality insulated lunch bag and thermos to ensure your meals are still hot/cold when lunchtime rolls around.

15. File your taxes each year and on time. While there may be years when you end up owning, filing early and annually can save you money in the long run if you end up having to pay (due to the interest that is charged on your outstanding balance). As well, you’ll avoid late filing fees and potentially get your refund, should you be owed one, even sooner.

16. Take a good, long look at your current bank account and the monthly fees you may be spending. There is a glut of different banks on the market today, chances are that if your current one is charging you too much in banks fees, another may be able to offer you a better monthly rate or at least provide you with more bang for your buck. Look for banks that offer monthly flat rates, free online banking and free cheques.

17. Share the ride. Carpool (check our sites like RideShare for lists of people in your area who want to carpool, too) or take public transit to cut down on weekly transportation (and, if applicable, parking permit) fees. Likewise, consider riding your bike to and from work and/or around town to cut down on car related expenses.

18. Be thrifty. Second hand store shopping isn’t just for the hipster crowd, buying items at thrift stores and larger second hand shops (such as Value Village and Salvation Army) can be a fantastic way to make your budget extend further, while also helping to recycle.

19. Reassess what you really need. Have you ever thought about how the generations before us got by without three cars, four TVs and every newfangled Apple product that hits the market? While it’s certainly lovely and fun to have some modern gadgets in our lives, there is a distinct difference between the types of items you genuinely need and those you just want to own. By cutting back or eliminating excess spending on “want” items, you can potentially save hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year.

20. Have fun without spending money. Just as our ancestors got by just fine without every newfangled device on the market, they knew how to entertain themselves with good, old fashioned at home fun. Play board games, host a family get-together, craft with your children (or own your own), play sports in your backyard, sort those twelve boxes of family photos cluttering up the dining room table, spend more time with your pet, listen to the CDs and watch the movies you already own, hold a potluck supper with your neighbors, build snowmen in the winter, write in a journal, take a soothing bubble bath, or just chat with your loved ones. Spending quality time at home is both financially rewarding and a great way to have fun.

21. Cut out monthly expenses that you don’t really need. From over-priced gym memberships to magazine subscriptions, there are likely certain expenses that you don’t actually need in your life each month.

22. Spend your time helping others. Instead of heading off to the mall each weekend, why not devote some of your free time to others by volunteering for a cause that is close to your heart. Be sure to get your children involved as well, it’s never too early to instill a love of giving back to those in need.

23. If you do go out, make a habit of being early. Lunch and early bird meals at restaurants (and happy hours at bars) often cost a fraction of their dinnertime peers. Likewise movie theatre ticket prices are often anywhere from $3 to $8 dollars per person cheaper during the afternoon.

24. Think before you spend. Make a habit of giving every purchase you make – beyond your usual weekly needs like groceries – careful consideration. Don’t impulse buy just because something is on sale. A $200 dress marked down to $100, is still going to leave you with $100 less in your wallet at the end of the day. Promise yourself that you’ll give any potential purchase at least 24 hours to be thought over thoroughly before you decide if something is really worth buying.

25. Learn to live with money instead of in fear of it. Many people say that they have a love-hate relationship with money, but I firmly believe that this stems from how they approach their finances. By creating a budget (and sticking to it), reducing or eliminating your usage of credit cards, spending less, spending more wisely and consciously looking for ways to save each month, you can once again learn that you’re the one in control, not your money!

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For example, if you type in 350g cantaloupe, you will get not only the calories (119), but also other detailed nutritional values, as shown in the image below:

Nutritional values for 350g of cantaloupe

What’s more interesting is that Wolfram Alpha tends to be quite forgiving of typos and is “smart” enough to perform relatively useful nutritional calculations for you.

For instance, you could search for 200g milk + 5 Oreos and you would get all the nutritional values for a somewhat unhealthy but delicious snack. Of course there are several types of milk, and the interface takes this into account by allowing you to pick from a wide selection by clicking on “More”, which is located just below the input box.

Want to know what foods are the richest in Iron? Just search richest foods iron and you’ll get the nice table below.

A list of foods that contain the most Iron

If you are using Firefox, you can speed up the process even further by creating a keyword for the search box. Right click in the search box at WolframAlpha.com, and select “Add a Keyword for this Search…”. In the popup that appears, define a keyword that will be used as a shortcut for Wolfram Alpha, as shown below:

Creating a Keyword for Wolfram Alpha's search

Click “Save” and from now on you will be able to type within your address bar, searches like wa 400g watermelon. I personally use this handy function on a daily basis.

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All in all, it has been an exciting year, even if I ended up neglecting this blog. In truth, this point has been bugging me for a while now. I didn’t want to give up on BLS. It’s a learning exercise for me, it allows me to share my findings with a wide range of people from all walks of life, as well as learning from them in turn. My readers would be fully justified to consider this blog dead, but it’s all but dead. I intend to revamp it in fact, and start to take a more professional approach to the whole thing, with regular, interesting articles posted for you to read.

Interestingly enough, in the past few days, my discomfort regarding BLS’ lack of updates started to increase. So much so that today I decided to start working on it again and headed over to renew its domain name. Much to my surprise, I found out that the site was expiring today! Exactly one year ago, I had registered belifesavvy.com, and somehow, I ended up renewing it on its expiration day.

I don’t recall receiving any renewal emails recently either. I wonder if the exact date was there nestled away in the back of my mind, similarly to how our internal clock is able to wake us up at an exact time in the morning when an important appointment looms and you simply must wake up in time for it.

At any rate, expect new useful content very soon. Be life savvy is back!

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For many people the idea of owning a dog is an absolute dream, but one which can be trickier for renters to achieve. Assuming you have a well established “OK” from your landlord (and/or property management board, building owner, etc) and believe that your life is ready to accommodate having a dog, then the question really just becomes which breed is going to work best for your lifestyle.
Ultimately, there isn’t usually one “best” breed. Everybody is attracted to different types of dogs and different canine qualities, such as having their pet be a lapdog or a guard dog. Renters everywhere should try to remember a few key points whenever they’re interested in a particular breed:

• Is the dog a reputed barker (or howler!)? If so there’s a good chance that you want to opt for another breed, as excessive or particularly loud barking is not likely to go over well with the neighbors. Beagles are notorious barkers, to the point where barking considered simply to be a breed trait. Certain other hounds and some types of terriers and larger working dogs are also known to be keen barkers.

• Does the breed require a lot of exercise? Every dog needs regular walks and to engage in playful activities, but while certain breeds are content with daily walks and playing fetch indoors (or at the local dog park), others such as herding and most working breeds require a great deal more activity and do best with a large yard, pasture or farm to spend their day running around in. Before selecting any breed, ensure that you and your family is able to devote enough time to walk your pet 2-4 times daily and provide it with regular play session.

• Does the breed have a temperament that is on par with your own? If you’re a very active person who is always on the go and loves the outdoors, than a breed such as a German Sheppard or Retrieve may work well for you, even if you live in an apartment. However if your lifestyle is particularly busy and finding time even for daily walks requires you to shuffle around meetings, than a low energy dog (and/or one which requires minimum grooming) is far more likely to be the right fit for your life.

• Will the breed get along well with young children or any other pets that you have? Adding a dog into your family circle should be a harmonious and very pleasant experience, not one that consists of constant confrontations between your new pup and any other pets that you may already have. Some dogs get along well with most animals, while others seem to better just with other dogs. Likewise, while most dogs that have been well brought up are friendly around children, bigger or particularly active breeds may have a tendency to unintentionally knock over or jump up on young children.

• Does size matter? While some people are surprised to learn that certain larger breeds can cope quite well as primarily indoor, apartment dogs, it is important to keep in mind that the smaller your space, the less room you’ll have for your new pet to run and play in. If you’re renting a bachelor or small studio loft, a Great Dane is not likely the best candidate for your home. Scale the size of your dog selection in accordance with the available room that you have in your apartment.

• Will you be able to see your pet in their natural environment before you bring them home? This tip applies equally to everyone who is hoping to add a dog into their home. It’s always wise to consult with reputable breeders, and if at all possible, visit the breeders that you’re interested in buying a new dog from ahead of bringing one home. If this isn’t possible however, ensure that you know as much about the person (breeder) that you’re buying from as possible and ask to see lots of photos of your potential new puppy (or adult dog).

• Can you afford your desired breed? This doesn’t simply mean being able to foot the cost of purchasing your pet in the first place, it also means being able to adequately provide for all of its needs, from vet bills to toys, food to obedience training classes. As well, if time is really of a premium to you, the idea of investing in a professional dog walker and/or pet groomer may be one worth considering (again, if your wallet is able to accommodate it). Likewise remember that – unless you live in an area where everything  your dog could possibly need is located within walking distance – you’ll have to ensure that you have a way to transport your pet to places such as the vet and the dog park (some public transit systems allow dog onboard with you, so long as you pay a fair for them; check with your local transit commission to see if this applied to your town) .

Many dogs are capable of making excellent, well-adjusted (primarily) indoor pets, and research is definitely the key to determining which breed would work well for your situation. To help you on your journey towards your new pet, here is a list of ten breeds that are well established as being good indoor, low to medium activity dogs.

1. Boston Terrier: Gentle, playful and loving dogs, this well known and very popular dog has a good sized life expectancy (10 to 14 years) and does not require a great deal of grooming, due to it’s naturally short hair. Bostons are bright dogs who can at times be rambunctious, yet they are also known for being calm, sweet and sensitive – as well as for being a breed that requires a lot of human interaction, making them well suited to people who spend a fair amount of time indoors. Their small stature and playful nature make them popular family pets.
2. Clumber Spaniel: This sweet faced English breed has a lovely creamy hued coat and fairly short legs when compared to most other retrieving breeds. While retrievers (and large spaniels) in general can be very active dogs who often get by best when they have a yard or field to roam in, Clumbers generally take on a more relaxed attitude to life and could be considered as the couch potatoes of the retriever world. Being a longhaired dog, Clumbers do shed, though their coat care can be kept on top of with regular brushing. A gentle, good natured and bright dog, Clumber Spaniels have been described as the “big dog that thinks it’s a lapdog”, and they are especially fond of attention and love.
3. Havanese: An adorable little dog with a somewhat dishevelled appearance due to their scruffy fur, these small dogs make excellent companions and have been utilized in fields such as detection and therapy work. Playful toy sized dogs, they’re are both intelligent and highly attached to their families. Havanese are reported to get on excellently with other pets, as well as being highly sociable and quick to learn. They make reliable watchdogs, though the breed is not prone to excessive barking at all.
4. English Cocker Spaniel: Dignified, gentle and intelligent, English Cocker Spaniels make terrific household pets and get along swimmingly with children. These medium sized dogs have been a favorite with families for generations now, and makes for a fantastic companion pet. Described as being moderate barkers and lively, playful dogs, English Cockers make ideal pets for those with some time to devote to excising and can get along quite well in an apartment setting.
5. Lhasa Apso: Bright, alert and somewhat energetic, these non-sporting toy dogs originated from Tibet as guard animals and therefore (as result of their guard dog heritage) often posse a bit of a dominate or stubborn trait, though they are also very loyal. Somewhat diminutive in size at around 14-18 pounds, these silky, long haired dogs require daily brushing, but not a great deal of exercise and can be quite content to spend most of their time indoors as a family pet who will be at the ready as a guard dog.
6. Greyhound: While the first thought that springs to many peoples’ mind when they hear the word “Greyhound” is a that it’s a breed who loves to run and is constantly active, the reality is that only a small percentage of the world’s Greyhounds are actually race dogs, and that as a breed, they are not overly active on the whole. Calm, gentle and devoted, Greyhounds typically get along well with other animals and children, and are not habitual barkers in the least.
7. Boxer: Alert, affectionate and jolly, the boxer is a relatively large sized, shorthaired dog with a fair bit of energy and plenty of love to give. Despite the misconception that Boxers are vicious or aggressive dogs, they are in fact gentle natured and usually get along well with children. This image likely steams from the Boxer’s bulldog origins and traditional use as a hunter’s assistant who that was employed to help track down large game. Today’s Boxers love to play and greatly enjoy a bit of daily activity. They need more space than, say, a Pomeranian, but can adequately live in a good-sized apartment or condo, assuming they receive proper walks and exercise.
8. Scottish Terrier (Scottie): An iconic breed with pointed ears, a shaggy coat and headstrong temperament. Scotties are not big shedders; like most terriers, they delight in taking walks and getting daily exercise, but Scotties are not generally overly hyperactive. Though a small dog, the Scottie fancies itself as a guard dog and is sometimes standoffish with strangers, though they tend to be affectionate and devoted to their owners. Due to its compact size, Scotties are well suited to families with small living quarters, but plenty of time to train and play with their pet.
9. Samoyed: A medium to large sized breed with gorgeous white, fluffy fur and a tail that curves upwards, the Samoyed originally hails from Siberia where it was employed as a sled dog and reindeer herder’s aid. Energetic, attentive, and very friendly, these dogs are not known for being aggressive, though some do have a penchant for barking, which could potentially be a downside if you live in a shared building. Samoyeds, despite their lovely coats, do not require an excessive amount of grooming, though they do shed a fair bit. Sammies like to play and take walks (especially in the snow!), but so long as they get the opportunity to “burn off steam” on a regular basis, they can get along quite well in an indoor environment.
10. English Bulldog: Perhaps the most easily recognized and well known of all “couch potato” breeds; the English bulldog is a compact, stocky dog that’s popular the world over. Though English bulldogs can be prone to certain health problems (such as breathing issues and the need for cesarean births due to the large size of the pups’ heads) and are a rather expensive breed ($2,500 US is a fairly common price, though some breeders may charge a bit less or more, depending on numerous factors), they make for loving, loyal and friendly pets (albeit ones who may be a bit stubborn at times) and are well worth considering. Bulldogs do not require a great deal of activity, but as with all breeds, it’s important to walk and play with your “bullie” every day. As a shorthaired dog they are not particularly big shedders and the majority of their maintenance comes from the fact that owners need to properly clean their bulldog’s facial wrinkles (skin folds) to prevent infections.

In the above list we’ve highlighted ten dogs which can make for good apartment dwelling pets, but it’s important to remember that there are many other breeds out there which may also suit your house and lifestyle. Rescue dogs and mixed breeds can also be well suited to apartments, assuming their size and breed(s) are known to be appropriate for indoor living. Assuming your dog lives a healthy life, you can expect to have them with you for anywhere from 8-15+ years, depending on the breed, and it’s important to pick a type of dog that will continue to suit your lifestyle not only today, but in the future as well.

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Most people who struggle with debt have more than one creditor to deal with, and possessing 4, 5 or 6+ credit cards is not uncommon for the average household in the western world.

The main advantage of getting a debt consolidation loan to pay off all your personal credit cards debt, is that the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of a typical consolidation loan will be lower than the APR of your credit cards. If you do the math, you’ll notice that this can save you quite a bit of money in the long run and allow you to pay off your debt faster than you would be able to do otherwise. On top of that, you’ll only have to pay one creditor, instead of needing to deal with several bills, different due dates, minimums and so on each month. If you’re able to get a fixed rate term loan, you’re also guaranteed that the interest rate won’t increase over time – something that credit card companies are not usually able to promise you.

On paper it seems like a great plan: cheaper, faster and convenient. There are however a few hitches to keep in mind before going ahead with this plan of (debt) attack. The first issue concerns the lending institution where you get such a loan from. If your credit is excellent and the amount of debt that you have is relatively small, you can probably obtain a simple personal loan, which won’t affect your credit score too much. In most cases though, if you are heavily in debt, chances are that your credit score is not that great to begin with. If you apply for personal loans which in turn get rejected, you credit will be affected negatively, making your financial situation slightly worse off than it already is.

You may be able to obtain a loan for the specific purpose of debt consolidation by talking directly to your credit union or banking institution, or by first seeking debt counseling with any one of the many non-profit companies who specialize in this field. There are two inconvenient aspects however, if you opt to go this route though. Firstly, in most cases you will have to provide a co-signer or some form of substantial collateral such a car, as well as a budget that’s outlined to the last penny and which shows that you are able to handle the monthly payments. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, a debt consolidation loan is a glaring red flag in your credit history. Taking out such a loan is not a decision which you should rush into lightly, it truly affects your credit and is best viewed as being something of a “last resort” option.

Perhaps the biggest problem with debt consolidation loans has to do with the psychology of the debtor (the person who is carrying the debt load). While such is not always the case, some people who are in debt are there due to poor impulse control and spending habits. What do you think it’s going to happen when the credit cards are freed (thanks to the consolidation loan) once again? You guessed it, many people end up accumulating further debt, because they haven’t broken free from their addiction to buying on credit yet.

These are all important aspects to keep in mind before proceeding to apply for a loan. There are times where debt consolidation is the only solution, short of filing for bankruptcy. Only you know your own personal financial situation well enough to be able to judge if this is the case. In many situations however, applying the debt-avalanche method, sticking with the goal of paying off your balances, and the determination not to rebound into consumer debt is what it takes to become debt free.

Photo credit: Lotus Head.

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An incredible example of someone thinking, “screw the rules” is Dr. Malcolm Coulthard. BBC has an article that reports on how he and a nurse, Jean Crosier, saved the day by going against the rules and acting, not just thinking, outside of the box. A baby, Millie Kelly, experienced kidney failure during surgery. Her 6lb body was too small for the conventional dialysis machine so doctors informed the mother that the child was unlikely to survive.

This amazing doctor decided to create a scaled down version of the dialysis machine in his garage. According to the mother of the baby, the result was less than standard looking, “It was a green metal box with a few paint marks on it with quite a few wires coming out of it into my daughter”. This home-made machine saved Millie’s life and she is now a happy, healthy 2 year old. The machine is still in use at that hospital, saving the lives of many babies who are too tiny for conventional machines.

Doctor Coulthard is now asking that a proper, official version be created and distributed in order to save many lives that are needlessly lost. I found this story to be touching and I wanted to share it with you, to remind us of how we can all be heroes by simply going beyond the rules when something more important is at stake.

Are you ready to ignore the rules?

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One warning is perhaps in order—-this territory we are entering can become a fantastic time-sink. Hours can slip by, people can come and go, and you’ll be locked into Cyberspace. Remember to do your work!

That really hits home, doesn’t it? More than fifteen years later we’re fully immersed in the information age and those prophetic words have never been truer. We are overloaded with information, so much so that it becomes distracting, harms our ability to select and digest knowledge that matters the most, and ends up killing our focus and productivity.

Humans are not multitasking machines, because there really wasn’t a strong evolutionary reason for us to be. We perform better when focusing on a single task, it’s hard-wired in our individual brains, and the context switching required to jump from one task to another is far too “expensive” for our minds to continually deal with.

The solution is to put yourself on an information diet. These are a few strategies that can really help to limit your daily information intake, simplify your life and get things done.

1. Limit recreational Internet surfing

Sites like StumbleUpon, Digg, Reddit, Facebook and Twitter can be fun, interesting, informative and even teach you many useful things, but they are time-sinks. If you aren’t careful, several hours of your personal time can end up being wasted, when perhaps you’d like to put them to better use. Decide what the amount of time is that you’d like to spend on such sites, and stick to it. One hour of your personal time is usually a generous compromise. Remember that you can use RescueTime or similar tools to keep track of how much time you spend browsing and using certain applications.

2. Syndication is your friend

There are information sources that truly matter to you and rightfully, that’s fair, we each have our favorite areas of interest. Rather than checking them regularly and getting lost in the Internet in the process, use a good RSS feed reader. It will make your life much easier, allow you to follow the type of content that you really need or want to read more closely, and prevent you from jumping from site to site in boredom. Read your feeds once or twice a day, and then get on with your life.

If you are using a Mac OS X I suggest the excellent NetNewsWire, while Windows users should take a look at FeedDemon. If you prefer to use your browser, as opposed to a standalone desktop application, Google Reader is definitely worth a try.

If you already use a feed reader, don’t forget to put it on a diet as well. Do you really have time to read hundreds of regularly updated feeds?

3. Don’t obsess over your email

Check your email inbox two (or three times maximum) during the day. Some people tend to frenetically hit “refresh” while waiting for new emails to show up or they check every email notification that appears in programs like Outlook, Lotus Notes or Thunderbird. Unless you work in customer service relations, disable pop up notifications, blip sounds, and only check your email every few hours. You can read Inbox Zen with the three folder email system to learn more about a good system I use to stay on top of emails without stressing over them.

4. Limit IM chats

Instant Messaging is a very immediate form of communication and it’s rapidly taking over the use of emails, even in the workplace. My suggestion is to limit its usage though, because you can easily end up wasting both yours and other people’s time. The easiest way to accomplish this is to put yourself in “Do not disturb” mode. If it’s truly an emergency, you’ll get contacted regardless of your status. But you’ll also avoid all those “So what’s up, Tony?” type of chats. Note that I’m not advocating getting rid of social interaction. On the contrary, I’m suggesting more social interaction when appropriate (in the form of taking to someone in person). Most people will agree though that being interrupted by IM messages when you are in the middle of working on something brain-intensive is a surefire way to lose focus.

5. Skip unnecessary meetings

There are meetings you don’t really need to participate in. So why are you still going? If your presence at a given meeting doesn’t benefit either yourself or your company, I’d argue that your time is much better spent on actual work. Of course, I’m not advocating that you stop attending meetings all of a sudden, that’s a good way to get fired. Rather I’m suggesting that you discuss with your manager about whether or not your participation in a meeting is required and of any actual advantage to the company. Meetings can be very useful, but let’s be frank, many of them aren’t.

6. Keep it short on the phone

Don’t chit-chat on the phone. Get to the point quickly and politely and always encourage the person on the other side to skip ahead to the real reason behind their call. If a follow up is required, try to see if this can be arranged by email instead.

7. Cut the number of hours in front of the TV

Try to limit the amount of time that you spend watching TV. If you read the news online, you don’t really need to view it again in the living room. I don’t dislike TV, there are a few interesting programs that I feel are really worth watching, but if you’re not careful, TV can become a big source of information overload and equate to time spent in a less than productive manner.

Some people watch 4 hours of TV a day. Is that too much? Too little? I like to think in terms of percentage of one’s over-all life. On average, we have 16 waking hours a day. If you consistently spend 4 hours watching TV every day, then TV ends up “wasting” a quarter of your adult life. Is it a waste? It depends, on your deathbed would you regret having spent a quarter of your life watching TV? I know I would.

Enjoy your free time

These 7 tips for reducing the information overload outlined above are a mix of things that can be applied to your personal and professional life. They’re not intend to be a guide for making you a productive, unstoppable machine. Productivity and focus at work are the main effects of these techniques, but there is more to them than that.

What would you do if you had 16 extra hours a week that could be obtained by eliminating unnecessary, time-sink types of activities? You could hang out more with the people you care about, take up a hobby, get a dog, go out more or work towards your goals. Regardless of how you choose to spend your newly obtained time, your life will likely be much better off because of it.

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A witness was able to put out the flames using an extinguisher, therefore saving Mitchell’s life. He woke up in atrocious pain in the burn victim unit of San Francisco General Hospital. He had second, third and fourth degree burns on 65% of his body. Fourth degree burns are ones so severe that the bone has been consumed by the fire. His face was burned off, and his hands were irreparably destroyed. Doctors didn’t know at first if he was going to make it or not.

We can only imagine the kind of excruciating, incessant pain he experienced, as doctors agree that the pain associated with this kind of burn is essentially the highest level humans can perceive. Yet, he was unusually motivated to keep going and embrace life. The first thing he said to a surgeon upon learning that most of his hands were gone was, “this is gonna really screw up my pool game”. His courage and determination were clear from the get-go.

After 4 months he managed to get out of the hospital. Disfigured, his return back to city life was far from pleasant. The constant stares and reactions lead him to decide to move out of town. He relocated to the historic town of Crested Butte, Colorado where his upbeat spirit lead him to quickly make many new friends. It didn’t take much longer for Mitchell to co-found a multi-million dollar business, buy a beautiful Victorian house, obtain a pilot’s license and even own an airplane.

Despite the huge challenges, his courage and proactive attitude enabled him to live a successful, fulfilling life. Unfortunately that wasn’t the end of the story though. One winter’s day he set off to fly his airplane with some friends. Ice on the wings made taking off very difficult, and the plane essentially tumbled to the ground. Everyone managed to get out of the plane immediately, except Mitchell. His first thought was that his feet were stuck. Then he couldn’t feel his legs. His back suddenly started to hurt sharply. When the ambulance arrived he was rushed to the hospital where he would later learn that his spine was broken and that he would never be able to walk again.

This man had experienced his second life-altering accident, which combined with the first one, left him paralyzed from the waste down, in a wheelchair, disfigured and with good part of his hands missing. Try to imagine the emotional state of this person in the face of such unbelievable adversity. Once again Mitchell worked hard to continue his pursuit of life. His incredible attitude is summarized in a quote from his time in the hospital: “Before I was paralyzed there were 10,000 things I could do; now there are 9,000. I can either dwell on the 1,000 I’ve lost or focus on the 9,000 I have left.”.

While at the hospital he rushed to get out because he learned about a mining company that wanted to dig a huge, ugly hole in the beautiful mountain that watches over his town. In order to stop them he decided to run for mayor of the city, where he would eventually serve for two consecutive terms. Eventually he was able to convince them that drilling the mountain wasn’t such a great idea after all.

He’s fond of saying, “It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do about it” (also the title of his book). We can learn so much from these words especially when the reminder comes from a man who lived them to the extreme. W Mitchell is a living example of what will power, courage and determination can achieve, against all odds. His body may be in a wheelchair, but he’s clearly free of mental wheelchairs. I find his story extremely inspiring and it reminds me of how your current condition only partially affects the outcome of your life. What truly matters is your attitude.

Today he owns several successful businesses and is an exceptional motivational speaker, who’s gathered worldwide acclaim. He even enjoys adventurous actives such as water rafting and skydiving. After all there are still 9,000 things left to do.

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No matter how smart, skillful or prepared we are, we are human and we’ll always fail sooner or later. What counts though is the ability to learn from our mistakes and get back in the game again. This attitude sets apart those who succeed from those who never become what they’d like to be.

I found the following two videos about famous failures to be quite well made and I encourage you to watch them. The greater the odds, the harder the challenges, the higher your satisfaction will be.

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1. Buxfer

Description: Easy to use and with a clean UI, Buxfer allows you to easily track your income and expenses, and set up budgets. Unlike other similar sites, you don’t have to provide your online banking credentials if you don’t want to. It also has support for Google Gears to work offline and store your financial information locally.
Why: Stress free personal finance management.
Honorable mention: mint.com
URL: buxfer.com

2. Remember the milk

Description: A feature-rich task management application full of bells and whistles, including support for tagging, priority, scheduling, sharing, and so on. It works very well for those following the principles behind Getting Things Done (GTD). Despite its many features, the UI is clean, fast and well thought-out, so it’s fairly easy to make it work for you. Several keyboard shortcuts are available, minimizing the amount of time you need to spend entering data. It integrates with Gmail and Google Calendar as well.
Why: Smart TODO management.
Honorable mention: tadalist.com
URL: rememberthemilk.com

3. RescueTime

Description: Upon installing a client on your computer (Mac or Windows), your application and website usage will be securely tracked. Reports are available online and by email. Privacy cautious users can define what gets tracked and what doesn’t, through a whitelist mechanism. By using tags is possible to group applications and sites in order to track the amount of time spent, for example, on a given project.
Why: Keep track of where your time goes.
Honorable mention: 8aweek.com
URL: rescuetime.com

4. Joe’s Goals

Description: They say that goals are dreams with a deadline. Achieving goals requires clarity of what you want to accomplish and tracking your progresses. Joe’s Goals has an extremely simple interface to track whether you worked towards a given goal or not, on a daily basis. It couldn’t get any easier than this, but it can be very effective in reminding you of your “resolutions”.
Why: Stay focused on your goals one day at a time.
Honorable mention: daily-actions.com
URL: joesgoals.com

5. SparkPeople

Description: A great social network of people who are interested in dieting and living a healthy lifestyle. The site offers diet plans, diet and exercise tracking, great articles, daily newsletters and blogs. It’s by far the best of its kind.
Why: Encouragement and tips for healthy living.
Honorable mention: traineo.com
URL: sparkpeople.com

So what do you think about them? What are some other sites that you find truly invaluable to aid you in organizing your life?

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