PRODUCTIVITY LIFE HACKS THAT WILL BRING YOU MORE SUCCESS

Many of us would be like to be more productive. After yet another listless day playing Pokemon, watching Netflix and idly flicking through our social media news feeds, we’re left with the ting of regret that we just didn’t get enough out of our day. We didn’t do enough.

Being more productive in a world where there are constant distractions is one thing. But being more productive when there is so much to do is also difficult. With so many hats to wear, it’s easy to get stressed while trying to multitask. And when you multitask, productivity drops.

Although there is no magic bullet to becoming more productive, there are a few things you can do that will help you get more done. Here are 10 of our favourite productivity life hacks that will bring you more success:

Take Regular Breaks

If you don’t take regular breaks from your work when you start to feel overwhelmed and pressured, your work will suffer as a result. Moreover, your productivity will begin to dwindle.

Recharging your batteries is important, and it’s also fundamental that you step aside from your work every so often in order to tackle it later on with a fresher, clearer mindset. This sort of psychological distance helps to foster new perspectives that generate better results.

Just Say No

No is a powerful word, but it also comes with lots of negative connotations that prevent many of from using it more often.

But if you keep saying Yes to everyone who asks for your help, you’re going to find that your own productivity levels suffer as a consequence. From now on, put yourself first and be selective regarding who you say Yes to. You’re under no obligation to help anyone, especially if it’s going to slow you down.

Identify Your Most Productive Hours And Maximise Them 

Are you a morning person or a night person? Perhaps you work more efficiently during the afternoon than you do in the evening?

We all have consistent patterns when it comes to productivity. Personally, I follow the mantra that the early bird catches the worm. As such, I make a point of getting up early each morning and setting out my stall straight away. By around 2PM, I start to slow down.

If you know the times of the day when you’re at your best, it’s important to maximise them by creating a schedule that allows you to work during these hours.

Eat The Frog First

What do we mean when we say that you should eat the frog first? Eating the frog basically means that you’re going to complete the hardest task of the day first. Getting the most arduous task done first means that the rest of your day will be relatively plain sailing.

This is a hack that always works, as completing that one task that everybody hates will make you feel so much better. Get it out of the way early for a more productive day.

Switch Off Distractions

First of all, it’s useful to identify your distractions. When I first started working as a freelance writer, I could go weeks and weeks at the top of my game. Then, I would suddenly have periods of stagnation, where my productivity had slowed. Why? Because I’d allowed my mind to get distracted. In my case, it was a boy who I couldn’t get out of my head.

So how did I resolve the situation? I switched my phone off and left it in another room. If I didn’t, I would have kept checking it every five minutes to see if he had texted.

Think about what distracts you the most and take steps to eliminate them.

Retain A Sense Of Fun In Your Work

Productivity can easily be suppressed by too much pressure. When you’ve got impossible deadlines to meet, it can take the fun away from your work. And once the fun has been removed, it can be hard to stay productive.

All work and no play really does make Jack a dull boy. When you work, it’s important that you retain an element of fun at all times. Google are well known for introducing fun into the workplace, as it keeps employees happy, and keeps things exciting. If you’ve got nothing to look forward to but repetitive paperwork and deadlines, it’s going to be hard to stay on top of your game.

Take A Nap

Should adults really be taking naps? You bet they should. Although your friend might chide you for having an afternoon nap, naps have incredible health benefits that boost your productivity.

A quick cat nap has mental and health benefits that reduce stress, relax you and makes you more alert and ready to take the finish line.

We all get tired as the day wears on. So why wouldn’t you take a nap?

Create A Musical Playlist

The relationship between productivity and music is stronger than you might think. Music promotes creative thought processes, and it hones a more curious and imaginative mind. Albert Einstein enhanced his productivity by listening to music.

Music also helps mood, and the better spirits you are in, the more likely you are to race through your work with conviction. Try putting together a musical playlist of your favourite songs that you know get you pumped and primed for work.

Fix Up Your Diet

One of the reasons for slowed productivity is mental and physical tiredness. If we can’t rouse ourselves from a mental slumber, we’re hardly going to be able to race through our task with aplomb.

The healthiest way to boost your mental and physical capacities is by eating and drinking better. Swap coffee for water and junk food for fruit and veg.

Have A Day Off

Despite what people who work 80 hours a week tell you, working seven days a week is not good for you, and it’s certainly not good for productivity.

Do your mind and your body a favour by taking at least one day off work each week where you do absolutely nothing work-related.

HOW TO USE A VISION BOARD TO CREATE YOUR DREAM LIFE?

Vision boards are a great way to inspire success and they are great fun to make as well. Some people believe that human beings, with the help of things like vision boards, have the power to turn their dreams into reality through thought alone. One thing’s for sure, a vision board will serve as a reminder of what you are striving to achieve and it will inspire you to do your best to get there. A vision board can be as simple list of statements, or it can be a collage of images that represent your dreams. Here’s how to use a vision board to help make your dreams come true.

1. Look for inspiration

To make a vision board work for you, you need to be a little bit creative and go beyond just a simple statement of ‘I want to be rich’ or ‘I want to meet the perfect man.’ Visualize what your dream will really mean to you and look through magazines for images that will represent those dreams. Having more money, for example, could mean that you could go on your dream holiday, or drive your dream car. Those are the types of images that will motivate you.

2. Get your goals clear in your mind

Take time over setting your goals, because research has shown that people who have clearly defined goals in their lives are more likely to be successful. Your goals can be  both short term ones and the grander, long term ones, but you need to be clear on what it is you want to achieve if a vision board is to be of any real use to you.

3. Take your time putting your vision board together

Remember that these are your dreams that we are talking about, they are important to you, so don’t rush creating your vision board, take your time and organize it properly. Exactly how you organize it is up to you, but you want to be inspired when you look at it, not be thinking about what a mess it looks!

4. There are no vision board rules

Most people base their vision boards on things like travel, finances, relationships, and personal growth, but your vision board is your own space, so you can organize it however you like. There are no rules as to what can go on a vision board. You can use anything that will give you the motivation that you need.

5. Use lots of different sources 

A vision board should be something that excites when you see it and something that helps you visualise your goals. You could use quotes from famous people, images from magazines and from the internet, your own handwritten notes, or perhaps souvenirs from places you want to go back to. The more interesting you make your vision board look, the more it will inspire you.

6. Take a look at your vision board every day

The best place to put a vision board is somewhere where you can easily see it and take time thinking about what it means. It should provide you with a daily reminder of what it is you are trying to achieve. Take the time to look at your board every day and think about what you can do today to bring yourself a step closer to achieving your dreams.

7. Keep it up to date

Your vision board need not be a thing that never changes, you can add to it at any time if you want to. You might find more things that reinforce an existing goal, or you might change your mind and want to add a new goal. Keeping your board up to date and fresh will help keep your dreams at the forefront of your mind and that’s what a vision board is for.

8. Make a note of your progress

While you are keeping your board up to date, don’t forget to mark your progress towards your goals. Any sign that you have moved a bit closer to your dreams can be put up on your board. It’s a great way to keep you motivated. You can also keep a vision journal so that, at any time you feel   like quitting, you can take a look and see just how far you have already come.

9. Imagine yourself in your future

When you look at your board really imagine yourself living your dream life. Visualization is said to be the most powerful mind exercise that you can do. According to those who believe in the Law of Attraction, visualization emits a powerful force that can draw your dreams closer to reality.

10. Vision boards do work!

Whether you believe that there are forces that we don’t understand at work, or it is just the motivation that does the trick, there is no doubt that visualization does empower people to succeed. It’s been proven that athletes, who visualize themselves clearing a jump, or lifting a heavy weight, are far more likely to succeed. There’s no reason at all why a vision board won’t help you to make your dream a reality too.

10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SALT

We all know that too much salt is bad for our health and that many of us still do eat way too much of the stuff, but did you know that you couldn’t live without salt and that it is the world’s oldest food flavouring? Salt was very highly valued in the ancient world. So much so, that very first great Roman road was built so that salt could be transported from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. So, if you are bored being told not to put so much salt on your French fries, read on, and we’ll tell you ten facts about salt that probably didn’t know.

1. The word “salary” is derived from the need for salt

Salt was so valuable in the ancient world that the very word for our monthly pay check is a reference to our need to buy salt. The word “salary” is derived from the Latin word “salārium”, which was the payment that Roman soldiers received so that they had money to buy salt.

2. More salt is spread on the roads than we use in our food

Most of the salt that is extracted from sea water or mined from the ground is used for industrial purposes and never gets anywhere near food. In fact, in the US, only 6% of all salt is used in food and 15% of all salt production is spread on the roads during winter to keep them clear of ice.

3. Why spilling salt is thought to be unlucky

The superstition of believing that spilling salt will be bring bad luck is thought to have originated from the painting “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci. In the famous painting, Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Jesus and who then hung himself, can be seen knocking over what appears to be a container of salt. Throwing salt to ward of bad luck originated from the idea that you are throwing salt into the eye of the devil.

4. Salt can kill you

If you were to consume a gram of salt for every kilogram of your body weight, the salt would kill you. In ancient china, eating a pound of salt was the preferred method of suicide amongst the nobility. Salt was so expensive in China in those days, it was only the nobility who could afford to buy enough salt to kill themselves with it.

5. Good quality sea salt should be wet

Unlike refined salt, which has had a lot of what is good for you taken out of it, the best quality sea salt will contain many of the minerals that you need for body to function healthily. The very best sea salt will be slightly damp and that dampness should be from the sea water that the salt was extracted from.

6. Salty potato chips were invented by an angry cook

In 1853, a customer kept sending his fried potatoes back, complaining that they were too soggy. The exasperated cook tried to get his revenge by slicing the potatoes as thinly as he could, deep frying until they turned brown and crispy, and smothering them with salt. The customer loved the crispy deep fried potatoes so much, he told all his friends, and the modern salty potato chip was born.

7. There is hotel in Bolivia made entirely out of salt

There is a hotel in Bolivia that has taken the idea of using local resources to a new extreme. The Palacio de Sal resort, which is built on the edge of a salt plain, was built entirely out of compressed blocks of salt. They didn’t stop there, though; the chairs, tables, beds, and even the swimming pool are also all made of locally sourced salt.

8. You can’t drink sea water, but you can drink water from sea ice

Here’s a handy tip to remember, just in case you ever get marooned on an iceberg! Drinking seawater will kill you, because it has too much salt in it, but, if you melt down some seawater ice, it is perfectly safe to drink. When water freezes, the ice molecules cannot hold onto the salt, so frozen seawater only contains one tenth of the salt than seawater itself does.

9. A salt mine once swallowed a drilling rig and eleven barges whole

It’s true! In 1980, a Texaco oil drilling operation in Lake Peigneur, Louisiana, accidently drilled straight through into a salt mine lying underneath. The resulting whirlpool, created as the water escaped from the lake into the mine, sucked down the oil rig, 11 barges, and so much water that the flow of a river, which usually flowed out of the lake, was reversed. The once freshwater lake is now a much smaller salt water lake.

10. Salt was more expensive than beer on the American frontier

Salt was an extremely expensive commodity in the early 1800s on the American Frontier and it was four times more expensive as beer was. Part of the reason for this is that livestock can’t get enough salt from their diet of grass and so they had to be given salt to keep them alive. That’s also why animals flock to salt licks in the wild.

How to learn a new language fast.

If you have a second language on your resume, it can really make your application of a job stand out from all the other applicants. Even if a second language isn’t required for the post, the fact that you have learned one, says a lot about your positive attitude to learning. With the world getting ever smaller, a second language can also help you when you travel, or talking to visitors from overseas when you are at home. A lot of people set out to learn a new language, but they give up too early. If you’ve always wanted to be able to speak another language, here are ten tips that will help you learn.

1. Find your motivation

The biggest hurdle to learning another language is that it is not something that you can do overnight. It takes time, it takes persistence, and it takes a lot of practice, so you will need to find your motivation if you are to be successful. Be clear in your mind what the benefits of learning a new language will be. It could be to further your career, to become a language teacher, or even just so that you can communicate with people better when you are on vacation. If you have a good reason to learn, it will help to keep you motivated.

2. Immerse yourself in your new language

This is another important tip on how to learn a new language fast. You will need to completely immerse in your new language if you want to become fluent in it and that means practicing every single day. Set aside at least one hour a day for practice and think about other ways that you can surround yourself with the language. You could watch movies in that language or read books. Even when you are talking in your native language you could be thinking about how you would say those words in your new language.

3. Make use of technology

You can make learning a language more fun by making full use of the resources that are available online. Web sites like Memrise and Babbel offer all kinds of fun ways to practice and learn. Thera are downloadable exercises, lessons, flash cards, and fun quizzes too. It means that you can log on anytime, anywhere, and get a bit of extra practice in the language you are trying to learn.

4. Talk to yourself

Next tip on how to learn a new language fast is to talk to yourself in your new language; it can be a very effective way to learn and you can do that anywhere. As you are walking down a street, for example, you could describe to yourself what you see. The more you use the words and phrase of a language, the more those words and phrases will sink in, so take every opportunity you get to use your new language.

5. Practice the core vocabulary

If you learn the core words of a language, you will be 90% of the way there. There are just three hundred words in the English language that account for more than 65% of what we say, so you can see that learning the basics of a language isn’t as tough as you might have thought it was. Practice your core vocabulary daily, and the rest will come much easier.

6. Listen to other people speaking the language

You learn your native language by just listening and you can do the same with a second language. The sounds of the words of a language that is foreign to you will sound strange, simply because you are not used to hearing them. Listen to audio lessons and online language lessons to hear people speaking the language and that will make it easier for you learn the correct pronunciations of words.

7. Use your gadgets as a teaching aid

Another way for you to fully immerse yourself in a new language is to use gadgets like your phone, tablet or PC. They have language settings that can be easily changed and that would force you to use your new language every single day. Virtual assistants like Cortana and Siri can also speak different languages and they can be a great, fun way to practice.

8. Find someone to practice with

Another tip on how to learn a new language fast is to find a language partner. If you can find someone that you can already speak the language that you are trying to learn, holding conversations with them will be a great help. Then, you’ll have a real live tutor who can put you right when you mispronounce something or get stuck for a word. Failing that, find a friend who also wants to learn a language and spend time together talking only in your new shared language.

9. Carry a pocket dictionary around with you

Always keep a pocket translating dictionary with you while you are learning a new language and then you will always have it to hand when you need to check something. It can be can useful for when you hear a word that you don’t understand, or for when you want to look the translation of words from your own language.

10. Practice, practice, practice

Practice your new language in your head, practice it with friends, and practice your skills on strangers who are native speakers of the language, if you get the chance. If you want to learn to speak a foreign language fluently, the main thing that you need to do is practice it as often as you possibly can. The more you speak a language, the more naturally speaking it will become.

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HOW TO GET HIM TO DO WHAT YOU WANT WITHOUT NAGGING?

Is it really possible to get a guy to do what you want without nagging him? If you’ve ever asked your man to fix something for you, and three weeks later the something still needs fixing, then nagging might seem to be the only way to get him up off his backside to do some work, but there are better ways to spur him into action. In fact, nagging can become counterproductive, because he will start to see it as a battle of wills, and guys don’t like to lose battles. It also creates friction, which could eventually cause a fight, so read these ten tips on how you can get your man do what you want him to without having to resort to nagging.

1. Get the timing right

Men can’t do multi-tasking so, if he’s in the middle of watching a game on the TV when you ask him to take out the trash, you might get a grunt from him that makes you think he heard what you said, but don’t bank on that trash being taken at any time soon. Pick a moment when he is not distracted and not tied up with anything else and you will be far more likely to get what you want.

2. Don’t be overly critical about what he does do

When he does do a job for you, don’t tell him that he’s done it all wrong. We’ve all done it. Your man takes it upon himself to do the dishes and clean up the kitchen for you, and then you promptly go around after him, cleaning again and putting things back where they belong. Be tactful when he messes things up and then he’ll be more likely to do things for you without you even having to ask.

3. Make him think that it was his idea

Men have this psychological barrier to doing what they are told, especially at the weekends, when they are relaxing. On the other hand, men love pleasing their women by surprising them. So, if you need the lawn cut in the back garden, don’t ask him to do it. Instead, mention how much you are looking forward to spending some time in the garden now that it’s summertime again. Surprise! He’ll mow the lawn for you, and it will all have been his idea.

4. Make sure you always thank him when he does do something for you

If your man doesn’t offer to do much around the home, it could just be that he doesn’t feel appreciated. No one likes to be taken for granted, so make sure you thank him for what he does and compliment him when he does do something well.

5. Be clear about what you need doing

“I need some help around here” really doesn’t give him much of a clue about what really needs to be done, does it? Try to be specific about what needs doing and then he will understand what the problem is. Vague requests for help will seem like nagging, but if you explain exactly what needs doing, it will seem more reasonable.

6. Don’t get bitter too quickly

Don’t start shouting at him just because he didn’t jump up and immediately do what you wanted that second. The moment you start with words like “you never do anything for me” or “you never listen to me”, you are asking for an argument and he will just get more and more stubborn. He might have genuinely forgotten what you said, so ask again nicely, and it will get more done.

7. Butter him up!

If you just spent the last hour giving him a hard time, and then you ask him to do something for you, you can hardly expect him to be over the moon about the idea. We’re not talking about being manipulative, but if you do nice things for him, you are more likely to get a result when you ask him to do you a favour.

8. Reward him

One good turn deserves another, so get into the habit of rewarding him for his hard work. If he spent all afternoon helping you clean the home, then you could cook him his favourite meal in the evening, or buy him a few cans of beer when you go out. Just something that says thank you is all it takes to make him more willing to help you out the next time.

9. Explain why it needs doing

If you just bark out your orders to a man, he’s going to react badly. If you explain what needs doing and why, it will sink in with him better. “Please, could you fix that squeaking door, it’s driving me mad” will work a lot better than – “Are you ever going to get off your lazy butt and fix that door?!”

10. Talk to him about it

On a more serious note, if your guy isn’t pulling his weight around the home, you really do need to talk about it. If you are both working, then you will both be tired at the end of the day and you will both need your down time at the weekends. Talk about how you can share the chores fairly and agree on who will do what. A calm discussion about the problem will get you farther than nagging ever will.

THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU THINK THAT LIFE IS NOT AS GREAT AS YOU WANTED IT TO BE

Life really is something of a roller-coaster ride, complete with ups and downs, and a good smattering of laughter and fear, but what do you actually do when you hit one of the downs and life is not at all what you’d hoped it would be? We can’t promise you that, if you read this, your problems will all come to end, but we do hope that it gives you some helpful tips on how to deal with the rough times. Here are ten things that you can do when life doesn’t seem so great.

1. Reflect and regroup

While dwelling on the past is never a particularly good thing to do, accepting what has happened and where you are today is the first step to turning your life around. Take stock of why you are not happy and why you think that life is not so good and then, take a deep breath, and start to plan what you need to do to change it.

2. Count your blessings

This is one of the best tips on how to make your life better. Seriously, really do it; count how many things that you have to be grateful for, and you will be amazed! From food and shelter, to friends and family, even when things seem really bad, most of us are fortunate enough to have more blessings than we realise. Understanding what you do have will help keep things in perspective and give you more strength.

3. Accept what cannot be changed

Sadly, there are some things that simply cannot be changed, like the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job. Identify those the things that you can have no control over, and accept that they happened. Focus all your time and energy on those things that you can change and leave the past in the past.

4. Take tiny steps

Next tip on how to make your life better is to take small steps. Setting long term goals is the way to get what you want in life, but don’t expect to achieve those goals overnight. Break those goals down in the smallest steps and aim for those instead. If you were battling with an addiction, for example, you would be told to take it one day at a time, because thinking about getting through one day is a lot easier than facing up to getting through an entire year.

5. Accept that you can only do your best

Even in the worst of times, there is only so much you can do to turn your life around. If you have money problems, for example, and your debts have mounted up, you can’t pay off those debts with money you don’t have. All you can do is, do your best, and, in time, you will find that things will work out.

6. Don’t throw in the towel

Having said that you can only do your best and you should be patient, that doesn’t mean that you should throw up your hands and give in. Things don’t get better if you ignore them, so you will have to tackle your problems to solve them.

7. Have some faith

Have you ever noticed how dull and grey things look in the winter and yet, every year, the summer comes around again and the trees blossom and the birds begin to sing again? Just because things are not so great right now in your life, that doesn’t mean that they won’t be wonderful in a year’s time, or, perhaps, in five years’ time. You never doubt that the seasons will change, so why doubt that your life will?

8. Make the most of today

Next tip on how to make your life better is to make the most of your present moment. Living in the past won’t get you anywhere, and nor will panicking about the future. When life isn’t what you’d like it to be, it can sometimes be better to concentrate on the here and now. There are good things happening all around you, so pick up your head and take a look. Put your troubles to one side and enjoy the company of friends, or watch a good movie…Just because not everything is perfect in your life doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the day.

9. Adapt your plans

Sometimes, the best way forward is to change direction. There’s certainly point banging your head against a brick wall so, if your previous plans didn’t work out, adapt them to suit your new circumstances. If you can’t now afford to take the kids to Florida, take them on a camping trip instead. They’ll probably have just as much fun anyway.

10. Remember that anything is possible

Finally, when life is not as great as you want it to be, don’t give up hope, because amazing things happen to people all the time. You could win the lottery, meet the man of your dreams, or get the job that you’ve always longed for. You just never can be sure what tomorrow may bring, but be hopeful and believe in the best!

source :-beautyandtips

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CARROT JUICE

Carrots are one of the healthiest root vegetables that there is and they come with a whole host of health benefits. Carrot juice is a fantastic, healthy and nutritious drink that provides you with a lot of vitamins and is also useful for detoxing the blood and liver and, yes, they are really good for the eyes too! Here are ten of the amazing health benefits of carrot juice that you need to know about:

1. Carrot juice detoxes the liver

Your liver is the filtration device in your body and, like all filters, it needs a clean from time to time. Carrot juice is a great source of Vitamin A, which acts as a cleansing agent for the liver, removing excess fat, toxins and other harmful compounds.

2. It is good for the eyesight

Better eyesight is another one of wonderful health benefits of carrot juice. The reputation for carrots helping you see in the dark is more than just an old wives tale. The Vitamin A in carrots actually does strengthen your eyesight, it can help to prevent macular degeneration as well.

3. Carrots are a good source of Vitamin C

A large glass of carrot juice will provide you with over 30% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin C, which boosts your immune system and also helps with the production of collagen in the skin.

4. It regulates blood sugar levels

Another one of the important health benefits of carrot juice is that drinking it can help normalize blood sugar levels. Carrot juice is a good source of potassium which helps to regulate the blood sugar levels. If you don’t have enough potassium, then you can experience lows and highs in mood and energy levels, which are caused by the peaks and troughs of sugar in your blood.

5. Prevents stroke

Health benefits of carrot juice also include stroke prevention. Potassium is very good for the nervous system and the brain, and you get approximately 20% of your daily requirement of potassium from a single glass of carrot juice. Drinking carrot juice on a regular basis can help to prevent strokes and improve the functioning of your brain.

6. Carrots have anti-inflammatory properties

Carrots have a very high content of anti-inflammatory compounds. This can be very useful for reducing pain in the joints caused by arthritis, or simply by over-exercising at the gym or by running.

7. It can help you sleep better

Better sleep is another one of fabulous health benefits of carrot juice that you can enjoy. We all need our beauty sleep and good rest, and carrot juice can help with that too. Carrot juice promotes the production of melatonin in your body, which helps to regulate your sleep patterns.

8. It is good for your heart

Drinking carrot juice will help you to maintain your heart in good working order. Carrots contain carotenoids which are known to help ward off a number of serious conditions, including heart disease.

9. It can prevent cramping during exercise

When you exercise, you sweat and, when you sweat, you lose potassium, which can be the cause of cramping. A glass of carrot juice will boost your levels of potassium and can help prevent you getting cramp during and after a period of exercise.

10. Protects and repairs cells

The vitamin C that you find in carrot juice is also a powerful antioxidant. A glass of carrot juice a day will help your body to repair damaged cells and it will protect you against cell damage that can be caused by free radicals.

source:-beautyandtips