» How NOT to Multitask – Work Simpler and Saner By Leo Babauta You’re working on two projects at once, while your boss has placed two new demands on your desk. You’re on the phone while three new emails come in. You are trying to get out the door on time so you can pick up a few groceries on the way home for dinner. You are juggling tasks with a speed worthy of Ringling Bros. In this age of instant technology, we are bombarded with an overload of information and demands of our time. Life Hack recently posted How to Multi-task, and it’s a good article on the nature of multi-tasking and how to do it while still focusing on one task at a time. This post is How NOT to Multi-task — a guide to working as simply as possible for your mental health. First, a few quick reasons not to multi-task: Here are some tips on how NOT to multi-task:
How to Deal with Critics - Dorie Clark by Dorie Clark | 10:51 AM January 24, 2012 A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be interviewed for a national radio program. But amidst the Facebook “likes” from my friends and congratulatory emails, a message arrived in my inbox from a woman I had known casually in college. “Dorie, this was a huge fail,” she began. It happens to all of us: office rivals, “frenemies,” or even colleagues trying to be helpful can sometimes offer harsh criticism. Don’t mouth off. Determine if you’re overreacting. Remember: it’s a sign of success. What goes around comes around. How have you dealt with critics in your professional life?
12 Things You Should Be Able to Say About Yourself You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. – Mae West You know you’re on the right track when you can repeat each of the following headlines to yourself, honestly. (And if you can’t, this list gives you something positive to work on.) 1. I am following my heart and intuition. Don’t be pushed by your problems. Each of us has a fire in our hearts burning for something. And as you strive to achieve your goals, you can count on there being some fairly substantial disappointments along the way. 2. You are your own best friend and your own biggest critic. People who are proud of themselves tend to have passions in life, feel content and set good examples for others. Being proud isn’t bragging about how great you are; it’s more like quietly knowing that you’re worth a lot. 3. Act as if what you do makes a difference. Is it true that we all live to serve? You are only one, but you are one. 4. Happiness is within you, in your way of thinking. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Related
5 Inspirations for Being in the Moment Normally, we do not so much look at things as overlook them. — Alan Watts. By Leo Babauta How often have you eaten a meal and not really tasted it, or completed a chore or drove to work without really thinking about it? Our days often pass us by while our minds are elsewhere. One of my favorite methods of finding happiness and preventing stress is living in the moment — also known as mindfulness. No one actually lives in the moment all the time — I don’t think it’s possible. It’s actually pretty hard, if you give it a try. It’s hard, isn’t it? It takes practice. Children.
How to manage employees who work from home You've heard the stats: employees who can work from home and set their own hours (at least some of the time) are happier and less likely to complain of work-life stress. More important? They're less likely to leave your company than their office-bound counterparts. But how does managing your telecommuters work on a day-to-day basis? Train in person. Sometimes you do need standing (virtual) meetings. Communicate. Guard your time. Do try to see each other (sometimes). How do you manage your telecommuters? © 2012 CBS Interactive Inc.. 50 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do Self-reliance is a vital key to living a healthy, productive life. To be self-reliant one must master a basic set of skills, more or less making them a jack of all trades. Contrary to what you may have learned in school, a jack of all trades is far more equipped to deal with life than a specialized master of only one. While not totally comprehensive , here is a list of 50 things everyone should know how to do. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. Check out these books for more ideas on pertinent life skills:
Top 10 Instant Moments of Zen Quintessence Mandala “We can all use a little piece of Zen in our lives…” Webster’s defines Zen as a Japanese sect of Mahayana Buddhism that aims at enlightenment by direct intuition through meditation. The online Urban Dictionary gives this definition: “One way to think of zen is this: a total state of focus that incorporates a total togetherness of body and mind.” Zen is a way of being. Zen involves dropping illusion and seeing things without the distortion created by your own thoughts. We can all use a little piece of Zen in our lives, if only for a moment. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. By Carmen da Silva. Photo: Tahoe Serenity by angela7dreams Valeo Yoga Kit Product Description Yoga Kit Sticky mat 24″ x 68″; 72″ woven cotton strap with buckle; Two firm foam blocks 3″ x 6″ x 9″; Nylon tote bag with shoulder strap; Yoga instruction chart. “good find ” “The mat is nice, sufficiently thick and sticky; the strap seems sturdy, and the blocks are nice and soft but firm.
How To Be a Great Leader (in under 300 words) The six psychological factors that make a really great leader. Want to lead others? Well, much has been said and written about what makes a great leader, so here are the crib notes. These are the factors that psychologists consistently find make a good leader (Hogan & Kaiser, 2005): Decisiveness: good leaders make frequent decisions and stick with them. Although being a great leader (like Aung San Suu Kyi, above) isn’t necessarily the same as being a great manager, there’s much common ground. These four factors were confirmed in a study of Fortune 1000 companies that had been turned around by their CEOs (Collins, 2001). Modesty: the most effective leaders weren’t grand-standing show-offs; they were incredibly modest and humble.Persistent: the leaders who transformed their organisations the most never gave up. These may all sound like pretty straightforward characteristics, but apparently few have what it takes. Image credit: Surian Soosay
15 Ways to Live, and Not Merely Exist post written by: Marc Chernoff Email As Jack London once said, “The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.” Far too often we travel through life on autopilot, going through the motions, accepting what is, and having every day pass like the one before it. Here are 15 simple suggestions for those who want to break free from the mold and truly live more of their life – to experience it and enjoy it to the fullest, instead of settling for a mere existence. Appreciate the great people and things in your life. – Sometimes we don’t notice the things others do for us until they stop doing them. Photo by: Toni Blay If you enjoyed this article, check out our new best-selling book. And get inspiring life tips and quotes in your inbox (it's free)...
Negotiation Skills Devashish Chakravarty Your colleague is slacking off and increasing your burden at work. Are you angry with yourself for avoiding a showdown with her? Or, say, it is appraisal time and your boss will call you soon to negotiate your bonus and increment. We all abhor confrontations and dislike having to defend ourselves. Before negotiation 1. If you have a deadline and the other person doesn't, you will have little or no negotiation power and will end up giving away too much to reach an agreement. 2. The acronym stands for the Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement (a term coined by Roger Fisher and William L Ury in their seminal book on negotiation, Getting to Yes). The best option determines your negotiation power. 3. The person who cares less about the result tends to reach a better agreement. 4.
28 Dignified Ways to Impress Everyone Around You post written by: Marc Chernoff Email Far more often than any of us like to admit, our actions are driven by an inner desire to impress other people. This desire is often reflected in the brand name products we use, the bars and restaurants we frequent, the houses and cars we buy and the careers we choose. But are name brand products, fancy bars, houses and cars really that impressive? What about a person who holds an elite position in a career field they dislike? Why? Consider the following questions: He drives a Porsche, but can he truly afford the car payment? You get the idea. Now take a moment and imagine a person who loves what he does for a living, smiles frequently and bleeds passion in every breath he takes. Here are 28 dignified ways to impress everyone around you. We make a living by what we get. Be authentic. Of course, the coolest thing about this list is that everything you need to impress everyone around you is already contained within you. Photo by: Khalid
15 GREAT THOUGHTS BY CHANAKYA 1) "Learn from the mistakes of others... you can't live long enough to make them all yourselves!!" - Chanakya 2)"A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and Honest people are screwed first." 3)"Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous." Chanakya 4)"There is some self-interest behind every friendship. 5)" Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. 6)"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it." 7)"The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman." 8)"Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. 9)"The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. 10)"God is not present in idols. 11) "A man is great by deeds, not by birth." 12) "Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. 13) "Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. -Chanakya