Tips for Life

How to Tackle Adversity Like an Oyster

2011-04-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

A few days back while I was walking to school, I felt a piece of gravel or pebble that found its way into my shoe and prodded against my sole whenever I made a step forward.As I walked on, I thought about how oysters produce pearls to alleviate the “discomfort” that trespassing particles assert on their soft tissues. According to HowStuffWorks.com, whenever a foreign substance finds its way

5 Simple Ways to Double Your Productivity

2011-04-15T05:15:00.000-07:00

Doubling your productivity is simple, but not easy. Changing your habits requires a bit of self-discipline, but it can be done. You can double your productivity by incorporating any of the five simple steps below into your life.For the longest time, I refused to try any of the techniques that are associated with productivity. I believed they were nothing more than gimmicks.Weird, I know.But I

How a Simple Timer Can Magically Improve Your Productivity

2011-04-12T00:23:00.000-07:00

I’ve got a timer ticking away as I write this.Why? Because it helps me concentrate.If you struggle to stay on task, if you feel like your productivity could do with a boost, or if you find that you never get round to starting those “someday” projects, then a simple timer just might be the magic solution that you need.Sure, you could pay hundreds of dollars for life coaching or seminars, or spend

The Power of Tweaking

2011-04-09T23:29:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest with you – for years I've struggled with getting the results I wanted. I tried to go after my goals – starting a business, increasing my flexibility, learning tumbling many times, all of which led to failures. I don't know anyone else who is not able to do a proper back-handspring after trying to learn it for five years. It wasn't fun, but it got me thinking – what was I doing

Improve Your 'Hunched over the PC' Posture

2011-04-07T23:32:00.000-07:00

One of the most neglected aspects of our health is our posture. Amongst all the guidelines on healthy eating and workout methods, this essential facet of our well-being is often overlooked.Posture provides the foundation for a balanced workout, deeper breathing, effective digestion and efficient functioning of organs. Improving your posture will benefit your overall health, give you more

5 Awesome Tips to Writing Emails That Won't Be Ignored

2011-04-07T02:09:00.000-07:00

I'll confess before I begin - I still struggle a bit with keeping my emails short and sweet. Not that I don't know the merits of getting to the point right away in your email, it's just that I need to put in more conscious efforts to make them precise.The other day I was reading Leo's post on disadvantages of long emails and that made me realize that I am not the only one who has this bad habit

The Bruce Lee Approach to Valuing Money

2011-04-06T23:56:00.000-07:00

Bruce Lee lived his life through action; he was a man who lived what he taught. Many people don't know that he wasn't just a great martial artist but he studied, amongst other things, philosophy at the University of Washington. He was deeply interested in life and and all that encompasses, including money.From the book, 'Striking Thoughts' Bruce Lee talks about money as a useful tool, nothing

You Know, You Can Change Who You Are

2011-04-06T01:40:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been labeled?Maybe your parents always said you were the “naughty one” or the “quiet one” or the “clever one”. Maybe your classmates called you a “geek”. Maybe your friends expected you to live up to a particular reputation (even when you thought you’d outgrown it).You almost certainly have labels that you give yourself – whether you realize it or not. Perhaps you think you’re “lazy

10 Ways to Remove Clutter from Your Life

2011-04-05T02:59:00.000-07:00

Our lives tend to accumulate clutter in every corner: on our desks, in our drawers, on our shelves at home, in our closets, on our computer -- you name it, and clutter finds a way to fill every available space.But having a simple, uncluttered life is possible, with some very simple methods.Devote a little of your time to tossing clutter from your life, and keeping things relatively clutter-free,

How to Find Time For Yourself

2011-04-02T06:32:00.000-07:00

Today our lives are busier than ever before. Our time is pressed by career, family, friends and sometimes even the things we took on as being “for me” become a chore that saps our precious time. I mean, while your iphone addiction may be considered 'a break', is it really relaxing and does it really do anything to recharge your batteries? Doubtful.So how do we successfully take time out for

4 Cures For Overcoming The Onset Of Mental Rigor Mortis

2011-04-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

'By having an open mind, you will ward off the onset of mental rigor mortis or vision arthritis.' The number of years denoted by the calendar and your birth date are no reflection of how old you really are, or how healthy you are in your spirit, soul and body. I have met twenty-one year olds who, in their mind and attitudes, are older than some whom I have met in their eighties.Age is not a

Top 12 Android Apps That'll Increase Your Productivity

2011-03-30T03:49:00.000-07:00

So, as promised in my previous article on iPhone apps that make you more productive, here I am with a similar list for Android users.There are no two opinions on the fact that if there's any other mobile operating system that can surpass the mighty iOS, it is Android. It has surely come a long way since it was first introduced 2 years ago. With major mobile handset manufacturers like HTC and

Five Steps to Having a Productive Month

2011-03-27T01:02:00.000-07:00

Maybe all of your days tend to go smoothly. You're good at getting up on time, doing your work, and making sure that you relax. The problem is, you feel like things are not quite adding up. On a day to day basis, things are pretty good – but month-by-month, you don't feel like you're making progress.Do you plan for the month ahead? Most of us don't – if I'm truthful, I don't always manage this

7 Life Changing Lessons You Can Learn from Mark Twain

2011-03-26T02:16:00.000-07:00

in 1871, Mark Twain was born as Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Florida, Missouri, U.S. He was a writer, and lecturer. He was called the “greatest American humorist of his age.” He wrote the now classic novels, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.He wrote some great stuff that is still read by millions today. He also had some great quotes that continue to live on because

How To Get More Done At Work By Doing Less

2011-03-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

We're all busy. At any one moment most of us have a ton of different tasks that need to be wrapped up before the end of the day or the end of the week.Now most of us are capable of doing a large volume of work. Our ability is rarely the limiting factor when it comes to being productive and getting stuff done at work. Where we are typically set up to fail is by taking on or agreeing to do all the

How to Prove that You Are Worthy of a Raise

2011-03-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

Getting a raise is one of the quickest ways to improve upon your financial picture.. A few minutes of conversation can lead to a pay increase that you will enjoy year after year.Most of us think that getting a raise is about asking at the right time or framing the question in a certain way. We worry about coming across as ungrateful or overbearing, and we don't want to run the risk of creating a

How to Magically Transform Your Irritations into Personal Development Teachers

2011-03-22T03:33:00.000-07:00

The irritations you have are signposts. They are there to help your personal development, or to make your life a living hell. The choice is up to you. If you’re irritated by someone not washing the dishes, you probably want to tell that someone to do the dishes, and not just leave them there. How careless of them. They should know better, right?When we really look into our irritations, we’ll

Top 12 iPhone Apps That'll Increase Your Productivity

2011-03-17T05:02:00.000-07:00

The best thing about iPhone is the incredible world of apps its users can access and use. But it's easy to get lost in those hundreds of thousands of apps. That means finding the right apps to enhance your productivity could in itself be an immensely unproductive exercise if you don't know what you are looking for.Thankfully, you've got Dumb Little Man and myself to lean upon. This list will show

14 Simple Ways to Convert Your Sedentary Lifestyle

2011-03-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

We all know we need to exercise more – our lifestyles are way too sedentary compared to that of the previous generations. It's not all our fault. The days of the 9 to 5 job are long over and despite huge advances in technology, our lives seem to be a lot busier compared than that of previous generations.Even when I have been motivated to get a gym membership and start exercising, it only lasts

How to Curb Your Unnecessary Spending

2011-03-15T05:31:00.000-07:00

We all buy stuff that we don’t really need or want – and this can be a big problem. You don’t just end up with the frustration of throwing away good money, or the annoyance of a lot of junk cluttering up your house; you can end up in serious debt problems. If you are in a relationship, this is often times the nucleus of stress and huge arguments.Regardless of the economy and forgetting how much

10 Hard Truths About Blogging

2011-03-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

With job satisfaction rates at record lows and more and more people looking to enjoy a higher quality of life, millions of people are desperately trying to leave their miserable jobs and are flocking to the world of blogging and Internet marketing.If you're already a blogger, chances are you've heard of Darren Rowse, Brian Clark, and Leo Babauta. These names are synonymous with blogging success

Five Reasons to Keep a Journal

2011-03-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading Dumb Little Man for a while, you might have figured out that I'm a writer. I love words. I write for a living – and it's a childhood dream come true for me.Now, you might not be a writer. In fact, for all I know, you hate writing.I'm going to suggest that you think about keeping a journal, all the same. Why? Because journals have a bunch of awesome benefits – not just now,

The Three Hs of Talent

2011-03-12T09:25:00.000-08:00

A person’s talent can be defined as his special natural ability or aptitude, or his capacity for achievement or success. Talent can also be seen as someone’s gifts as well as the things he does well and is passionate about. While many have found their talent, many more have not and for as hard as this process may be, using talent is often more difficult than finding it.I can name dozens of

How To Kill Your Addictions to Junk Food and Soda Pop

2011-03-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

How can you kick junk food to the curb? Many of us have tried and failed, and tried and failed, and tried and ended up binging on Big Macs blended with ice cream, etc...

Are You Neglecting You?

2011-03-09T11:29:00.000-08:00

Everyone desires a long and healthy life yet very few are willing to work for it. Many would rather overindulge and turn an eye on health all in favor of things that frankly aren't as important. How come the one thing that shouldn’t be taken for granted is the very first to be overlooked by most? Face it, our schedules are packed with excuses and I am not downplaying your busy life. I'm simply