This modern construction, located in Touguinhó, Portugal, was designed by Raulino Silva in 2016. Built in the center of an immense plot of land, the home has beautiful gardens around it, and a swimming pool area where terraces provide a comfortable space to relax. The walls of the house adjoining the swimming pool area were made of glass so that, from the internal spaces, we can enjoy an abundance of..
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Miami – Florida – USA (by Sergio Monsalve)
Miami – Florida – USA (by Sergio Monsalve)
5 Simple Hacks to Increase Your Retirement Savings
Are you saving for your retirement?
If you haven’t been able to start saving for retirement, or if you have no savings at all, you are not alone. The number of Americans who have no cash in the bank to fall back on is staggering
According to a Federal Reserve report, almost 30% of Americans report having a zero balance, and 62% have less than $1,000 in savings.
In fact, nearly half of Americans couldn’t cover a $400 emergency expense without borrowing the money or selling something.
Another survey by GOBankingRates.com claimed that an additional 21% report having no savings account whatsoever.
In terms of saving for retirement, 36% have yet to begin keeping away money for retirement.
The importance of saving for your retirement cannot be overemphasized. Retirement saving is what will see you through your golden age. Saving for retirement is not optional; it is something that everybody ought to take seriously.
If you’re interested in saving more towards your retirement, below are simple hacks to boost your retirement savings:
Put Your Savings on Autopilot and Pay Yourself First
Simplify your retirement savings by placing it on auto pilot. It isn’t easy to make rational decisions with money, so, the simplest way to save for your retirement is by setting up an automatic transfer of money from your paycheck to your savings account.
A study by Prudential Financial Inc., a New Jersey financial services firm discovered that 66% of workers between the ages of 21 to 30 would like to be automatically registered in a defined-contribution plan at work, such as a 401(k) or 403(b).
An automatic retirement saving plan will ensure that a part of your paycheck will go to your savings account without you having to think about it. More importantly, it will give you the benefits of paying yourself first.
Work Longer
Increasing your working hour as well as prolonging your retirement is a simple hack to earn more and save more.
27% of Americans want to keep working as long as possible. Similarly, Another 12% said they don’t plan to retire at all, according to a 2015 Federal Reserve study.
You will get more money for every overtime hours you spend on the job. This extra money can be channeled to your retirement savings, which can become quite substantial in the long run.
However, never work longer at the expense of your health. Use only a few hours in a week for overtime job.
Pile Up Your Extra Funds
When you get a raise, a tax refund or any other unexpected money the wise thing to do is to contribute a large part of it to your retirement savings. A report from Bank of America Merrill Lynch found out that Millennia’s, aged 21-34, were more involved in increasing their retirement contribution rates during the first half of 2016 than any other age group.
According to Stephen Chen, founder of New Retirement Inc, “Even just putting away $10 or $20 a paycheck will make a difference, and will get you into the habit of saving,”
Don’t Get Distracted by Debt
Substantial debt can be a huge obstacle to savings and investment. If you are already in debt, you will need a good debt repayment system to help you get out and keep you focused.
Even so, you shouldn’t allow debts to distract you from your retirement saving plan. You should always pay yourself first before paying any bills. This is made easier when you automate your retirement savings.
See Also: 5 Ways to Help Get Out of Debt
Cut Down On Living Expenses
Make use of effective budgeting to cut down on your monthly expenses. Cutting down on expenses doesn’t mean going to live in the woods; it only means adopting some cut saving behaviors like buying in bulk, using coupons, switching to a more cost-effective brand, making more use of your DIY skills, sticking to your budget, etc.
See Also: 7 Ways to Live Within Your Means
There are many other ways to increase your retirement savings, especially for late starters which you can consider. The challenge to retirement saving isn’t in knowledge, but in turning that knowledge into significant results.
Saving for retirement requires you to translate the retirement saving hacks into actionable rules that will help you achieve your goal. If you are able to follow these simple hacks, you’ll have a comfortable retirement savings to fall back on when you no longer have the capacity to work.
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Five Signs You Need to Change Your Job
You’re reading Five Signs You Need to Change Your Job, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
The Perils of a Career That Doesn’t Fit
Few things can be more unpleasant in this life than holding a job that’s just not suited to you. Jobs can monopolize so much of your time and energy. People spend so much time at work every day. If you have a job that’s simply not in line with your interests, passions and skills, that can make existence feel truly miserable. It can make waking up every morning feel practically unbearable as well. If you have a job that’s just not appropriate for your personality and goals, these signs may be a true wake-up call for you.
1. You’re Just Not a Natural at Your Job
If you don’t feel like a natural at your job, you should pay attention and reevaluate it. People who are holding jobs that are appropriate often can handle them with ease and confidence. If everything about your position seems awkward and difficult, that’s likely a warning sign. It probably means that you should be doing something better with your time. If a job is a good fit for you, you’ll probably be a natural at it. If everything seems forced and complicated all the time, you should look at other options.
2. You Regularly Receive Criticism
People who excel at their jobs tend to receive consistent praise. Others take notice when professionals shine. They also notice, however, when professionals regularly fail. If you constantly hear bad things about your work performance, it may be time to assess your situation. It may be time to admit to yourself that your current position just isn’t cutting it. If you keep a position that isn’t a good match for you, you sell yourself short. You also sell your company short. No one wins in these situations.
3. All You Care About is Your Paycheque
If your job is nothing more than a paycheque to you, that’s a clear sign that your heart isn’t in it. Your goal should be to find a calling in life. It should be about more than just survival and paying the bills. Maintaining a job that makes you feel bleak and unfulfilled is no way to live. You need to find a position that brings you joy. You need to find one that gives you a little spring in your step every morning. Otherwise you could be setting yourself up for an existence of monotony and lack of fulfilment.
4. You Dislike Discussing Your Job
People who are passionate their careers enjoy talking about them. People who aren’t, however, frequently dodge the topic entirely. If you cringe any time someone asks about your career, that generally means that something is wrong. People should do whatever they can to seek out careers that make them feel accomplished. They should strive to land jobs that make them feel good about themselves, too. If your job is nothing more than a source of shame for you, you should probably step away from it as soon as possible.
5. You Realize That You Can’t Grow
Goals can be great motivators for professionals. If you’re stuck working a job that offers seemingly zero growth potential, however, that can put a major damper on your enthusiasm. It can make you feel like you’re in a rut. It can make you feel like nothing good will ever happen to you in the career department. If your job seems like a total dead end in life, you should think in great detail about looking at other career paths. The great news is that there are plenty of them out there waiting for you.
Matthew Snider is a writer, a personal development junkie and a regular blogger at Self Development Secrets. Matt, with his one quarter Asian descent, did not start out as a writer, but he says, “the love for a subject is the most important aspect of writing. The readers want to read something written by someone who understands them.”
You’ve read Five Signs You Need to Change Your Job, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Five Signs You Need to Change Your Job
You’re reading Five Signs You Need to Change Your Job, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
The Perils of a Career That Doesn’t Fit
Few things can be more unpleasant in this life than holding a job that’s just not suited to you. Jobs can monopolize so much of your time and energy. People spend so much time at work every day. If you have a job that’s simply not in line with your interests, passions and skills, that can make existence feel truly miserable. It can make waking up every morning feel practically unbearable as well. If you have a job that’s just not appropriate for your personality and goals, these signs may be a true wake-up call for you.
1. You’re Just Not a Natural at Your Job
If you don’t feel like a natural at your job, you should pay attention and reevaluate it. People who are holding jobs that are appropriate often can handle them with ease and confidence. If everything about your position seems awkward and difficult, that’s likely a warning sign. It probably means that you should be doing something better with your time. If a job is a good fit for you, you’ll probably be a natural at it. If everything seems forced and complicated all the time, you should look at other options.
2. You Regularly Receive Criticism
People who excel at their jobs tend to receive consistent praise. Others take notice when professionals shine. They also notice, however, when professionals regularly fail. If you constantly hear bad things about your work performance, it may be time to assess your situation. It may be time to admit to yourself that your current position just isn’t cutting it. If you keep a position that isn’t a good match for you, you sell yourself short. You also sell your company short. No one wins in these situations.
3. All You Care About is Your Paycheque
If your job is nothing more than a paycheque to you, that’s a clear sign that your heart isn’t in it. Your goal should be to find a calling in life. It should be about more than just survival and paying the bills. Maintaining a job that makes you feel bleak and unfulfilled is no way to live. You need to find a position that brings you joy. You need to find one that gives you a little spring in your step every morning. Otherwise you could be setting yourself up for an existence of monotony and lack of fulfilment.
4. You Dislike Discussing Your Job
People who are passionate their careers enjoy talking about them. People who aren’t, however, frequently dodge the topic entirely. If you cringe any time someone asks about your career, that generally means that something is wrong. People should do whatever they can to seek out careers that make them feel accomplished. They should strive to land jobs that make them feel good about themselves, too. If your job is nothing more than a source of shame for you, you should probably step away from it as soon as possible.
5. You Realize That You Can’t Grow
Goals can be great motivators for professionals. If you’re stuck working a job that offers seemingly zero growth potential, however, that can put a major damper on your enthusiasm. It can make you feel like you’re in a rut. It can make you feel like nothing good will ever happen to you in the career department. If your job seems like a total dead end in life, you should think in great detail about looking at other career paths. The great news is that there are plenty of them out there waiting for you.
Matthew Snider is a writer, a personal development junkie and a regular blogger at Self Development Secrets. Matt, with his one quarter Asian descent, did not start out as a writer, but he says, “the love for a subject is the most important aspect of writing. The readers want to read something written by someone who understands them.”
You’ve read Five Signs You Need to Change Your Job, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
If you are not going to speak up, how is the world supposed to know you exist?
Yosemite National Park – California – USA (by clayirving)
Yosemite National Park – California – USA (by clayirving)
“Kind of a Strindberg Play”: Phillip Lopate Tells His Mother’s Life
“My father’s greatest regret in life is he didn’t strangle my mother to death,” Phillip Lopate tells me while sitting at his kitchen table in Brooklyn. “And my mother regretted that my father was alive. She said, ‘I don’t want to kill him, but, you know, it would be nice if somehow he would pass away.’ ”
He laughs.
“So this is a kind of Strindberg play, you know?”
Some people have mothers who are larger than life. Lopate says that his mother, Frances, “had an amphitheater personality,” and so it’s no surprise that she pursued an acting career when she turned fifty. She needed a bigger audience than her family.
Frances Lopate lived from 1918 to 2000, and over the course of her eighty-two years she “was forced to reinvent herself over and over: working at a beauty parlor, becoming a housewife and a mother, running a candy store, working in war factories, starting a photography business and a camera store, clerking for garment companies, going into show business, touring America, doing commercials, going back to school . . . It was a twentieth-century life.”
Over three decades ago, Lopate, the prolific essayist and director of the nonfiction MFA program at Columbia University, asked his mother to talk about her life story, a request that resulted in over twenty hours of recorded interviews.
“As a child I felt a little overwhelmed by my mother’s voice, so when I taped her it was an opportunity to hear her story but also to interrupt it and interrogate it.”
But Lopate didn’t listen to the tapes right away. Instead, he waited until fifteen years after his mother died to transcribe them. The result, A Mother’s Tale, is a nonfiction book that gives Frances a lot of time in the spotlight. She’s extremely candid with her son, opening up to him about her sex life, including her many affairs, and how she couldn’t stand his father.
Lopate says that “there’s a scientific side of me that’s interested in the construction of self.” By listening to the tapes, he could see how his mother formed her own identity. Much of the narrative is developed through direct quotes from the interviews. The result is a highly intimate work, more personal than many of Lopate’s carefully wrought essays, because his mother says things he himself would never say
“I thought it was a very intriguing demonstration of the way that somebody can move towards the truth and then back away from it,” he says. “How rationalization works. So it seemed to me like a good demonstration of how even intelligent people have a hard time moving past their defenses. And it also seemed to me a good demonstration of the wariness and mistrust that can exist between parents and children.”
A Mother’s Tale shows how much we are shaped by the ones we love. Lopate says part of his personality is in response to his mother. “The personality of an essayist, which is to say somewhat detached, cynical.” In fact, Frances accused him of being “clinical,” while her son found in his mother a person “fueled by anger.” They loved each other, but it was a “thwarted love,” a relationship that required some distance between them.
For himself, Lopate doesn’t find anything wrong with being clinical. One of the common problems he sees in some of his students’ work is the inability to remove themselves, as well as “speaking out of the wound” with a lack of perspective.
It’s not that the perspective has to be a definitive one. Lopate says that it’s a good time for essays “because essays tolerate and even celebrate uncertainty, skepticism, subjectivity. You don’t have to be a specialist to write an essay,” Lopate says. “You can air your contradictory thoughts . . . and I think that’s where we are as a people now. We’re genuinely perplexed.”
One of the many pieces of advice he gives to his students is to see their parents as “individuals in their own right” when writing about them. “They existed as individuals before they ever had you, and they continued as individuals,” he says. It’s advice that A Mother’s Tale clearly takes to heart. Frances, and her opinions about “being thwarted by others” and being married to a lackluster husband, comes through clearly. Lopate’s mother was a “monologist” who understood the power of narrative, and a person who could captivate and frustrate any audience who was willing to listen to her. She was stubborn, especially in her judgments of others.
“Part of what I was doing in talking to her,” Lopate says, “was trying to nudge her away from some of her grudges, partly because ultimately I wanted her to forgive me and not hold such a grudge against me.”
His plan didn’t work, unfortunately. Even when Frances had some insights, she’d inevitably revert to her original opinions. “The stalemate between us was unbreakable,” Lopate writes in the book. “We were too much alike.”
Asked if he would ever do this kind of project again, he’s quick to say no. “This is a one-time experiment,” he says. “Nobody’s voice has dominated me to the degree my mother’s voice dominated me.”
Photo of Phillip Lopate: Sally Gall
The Barnes & Noble Review http://ift.tt/2mMRfJc
5 Ways To Bounce Back From A Big Mistake
Everyone makes mistakes. The recent mistakes in the media with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announcing the wrong movie for the Best Picture at the 2017 Oscars and Steve Harvey’s slip-up when he said the wrong name for Miss Universe 2015 are reminders that no one is perfect.
Be honest about what happened
Telling big or even little white lies to cover up a mistake can just put you into a downhill spiral. If a mistake has been made, take the hit and be responsible for what happened.
While it may be difficult to admit your error and feel foolish, these reactions are just short-lived. Lying to cover up the mistake will just create more problems in the long run.
Don’t beat yourself up over it
It’s normal to feel ashamed or embarrassed for a short period of time after making a mistake. You shouldn’t live on it or continue to build it up in your mind. You eventually have to accept it and move on. Keep in mind that the quicker you can accept it, the quicker you can recover.
Find an outlet that works for you to relieve stress. Talk to a friend or coworker, go for a quick walk around the building or journal your thoughts to give you some perspective and release.
See Also: 9 Ways We Can Reduce Our Stress Level
Apologize
Some people think that saying “I’m sorry” is a form of weakness, but it’s actually just the opposite. It shows that you can take responsibility for your actions and are willing to admit your mistakes. Whether you offended a friend or missed a deadline at work, apologizing takes courage and shows the other party that you understand what went wrong and you want to move on from it.
See Also: 5 Ways to Say Sorry
Put the mistake in perspective
Whether the mistake was a minor slip-up or a large-scale error, put it in perspective. There may be consequences to your actions, but think about how this mistake will affect you in 1, 5 or even 10 years.
Chances are, it won’t. If it is a life-altering mistake, then consider seeking counseling to help you cope with the consequences.
Learn from it
Take the blunders you make as a learning opportunity. Think about how the mistake happened.
Were you trying to get things done too fast? Were you sleep deprived? Had you had too much to drink?
Identify the factors that caused the mistake and think about what you can do differently next time to avoid doing it again.
Give yourself some grace and know that one mistake probably won’t derail your life or career. You are human and we all make mistakes. Some mistakes can even be turned into opportunities or used as motivation to do better going forward.
The most important thing when it comes to overcoming mistakes is to be smart about how you respond to them.
The post 5 Ways To Bounce Back From A Big Mistake appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
3 Tips You Can Use Right Now To Connect With Your Confidence
Confidence is a trait we are all born with. However, although innate, there are still factors that can make us feel shy and not so sure of ourselves. Because of this, one still needs to connect with confidence.
As children, we’re natural performers. We tend to relish any opportunity to dance, sing and play. We’re not concerned yet with the opinions of others and we can still express ourselves enthusiastically!
I remember one sunny day in primary school. I must have been only 6 or 7 years old during that time. My classmates and I were in the stuffy classroom.
Out of my seat, I was standing up and dancing, giving an impromptu performance to the children who sat at my table. Their hands were over their mouths to cover the high-pitch giggling but it was too late. Miss Clack, our teacher, had caught on to our mischief and was now angrily pacing towards our table.
Glaring down at me she (regrettably) asked, “William! I don’t suppose you wish to show your little performance to the WHOLE class, do you?”. I imagined Miss Clack had expected me to respond with a “No, Miss” as my pale cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. I very much doubt she thought I’d take her up on her offer. But I did…
A few moments later, with a smile on my face, I was dancing in the middle of the classroom. The whole class, including Miss Clack, were in stitches. William, 1. Miss Clack, 0.
Sadly, for many of us, by the time we reach adulthood, it feels like our confidence has taken a bit of a bashing. Teachers, friends, family and our failed romances leave us feeling disconnected from our confidence. This was certainly my experience.
Even though at times we may feel we have no confidence left, let me assure you, we do. Confidence is always inside us, ready to shine.
So, what can we do to connect with confidence again? Here are my top 3 tips.
Stand like a Soldier (Dressing in army attire is optional)
We all know how our feelings affect the way we use our body. You don’t have to be a body language expert to look at someone and accurately know how they feel.
By observing a person’s posture, gestures and facial expressions, you can determine his emotions.
Feel this for yourself! For the next 7 days, make a conscious effort to stand tall, have your shoulders back and your chest upwards. It may help to imagine a chord being pulled upwards directly from your head and spine.
At first, this may feel awkward so many of us (myself included) have a tendency to slouch. But, by standing upright, you will not just feel more confident; it can also help relieve your body tension.
Do at least one thing that scares you every day
I once had a conversation with a young man who told me ‘I just don’t have any confidence’. I replied by asking ‘How confident are you about that’? The young man smiled back at me before thinking about his answer.
I could almost see the cogs spinning around in his head as he gained an insight into this simple truth: We are all confident. We just don’t always have confidence in ourselves.
So how can we gain more confidence in ourselves?
Do at least one thing that scares you every day. Every time we take action, despite feeling fear, we’re growing our comfort zone.
We’re changing the story of what we believe is possible for us. And when you’ve done this for a little while, you’ll find yourself feeling more connected with your confidence.
What’s important here is not the result of doing what scares you; it’s the action. It’s the message you send yourself.
See Also: 3 Actionable Steps To Help You Overcome Fears
At the start of each day, visualize
This final tip only takes 30 seconds and can be completed even before you’ve left bed in the morning.
With your eyes closed, see yourself moving through the day with total confidence. Notice how you look (Tip 1), how you sound, and how it feels to live connected with confidence.
Imagine the interactions you will have with your family or colleagues and any important actions you have to take (Tip 2). This mental rehearsal sets up how you desire to show up each day. The final step is to open your eyes and do your best to create the day you visualized.
See Also: How Your Mental Health Depends On Your Confidence
The post 3 Tips You Can Use Right Now To Connect With Your Confidence appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
Sig Nordal 