Did you know that you ought to be having protein for breakfast?

Protein foods are one of the most important food groups needed by the human body. It serves as the building blocks of life. One needs protein in one’s diet to repair the cells in the body and make new ones. Proteins are responsible for healthy bones, muscles, and skin allowing for better movements and activities. A strong immune system is highly achievable with the proper consumption of foods rich in protein.

Studies showed that protein can also help in losing weight. People who eat loads of proteins during breakfast have higher chances of reducing mindless snacking. Moreover, protein-packed breakfast can also help control the appetite of a person due to a fuller feeling experienced throughout the day. This reaction of the body towards a high-protein breakfast may be accounted for the effects of proteins on the hormones signaling the brain to regulate one’s appetite and hunger.

With the numerous advantages of proteins in the human body, it is very necessary to have knowledge on the protein-rich foods and supplements that can be included in one’s diet, especially during breakfast.

Some of the most common source of the protein includes oatmeal, yogurt, beans, eggs, and nuts. Other protein-rich foods which are highly beneficial to one’s health were as follows:

Spirulina

Spirulina is a kind of blue-green algae found in the sea. It is packed with essential nutrients needed by the body. One of its most notable compositions is its protein content which is around 60 percent by weight. The protein contained in Spirulina is said to be the best protein since it contains all the essential amino acids needed by the body to function properly. Moreover, being a plant-based source of complete protein, Spirulina serves as an ideal dietary supplement.

Kombucha

Kombucha is a functional beverage made from fermented and sweetened black or green tea. This popular drink is believed to comprise of several essential nutrients needed by the body to grow strong and healthy. Continuous studies are being conducted to prove and to regulate its healthy benefits. However, reports from users claimed that this fermented drink has already shown great, positive changes in one’s body.

These benefits include the enhancement of one’s well-being, the increase in energy, and the effect on weight loss. Kombucha has also shown a great role as an ideal probiotic drink for those struggling with a bacterial infection such as Candida.

Emmer

Emmer belongs to the wheat family of annual grasses. It consists of grains enclosed by strong glumes and husks. Others refer to emmer as rice wheat, starch wheat, or two-grained spelt. This very special treat offers high protein ranging to about 22 percent. It is also rich in fiber, magnesium, and other vitamins.

Emmer is low in calorie content making it a better and healthier option for vegetarians or for people who wants plant-based protein food source. Emmer is a good addition to one’s breakfast as it comes in the form of bread, biscuits, and grains in soups.

Black Radish

Black radish is the larger type of radish encased in a black or brown skin. It can be eaten and enjoyed raw or cooked depending on the desired preparation.

Studies showed that the black radish is an excellent source of essential nutrients such as vitamins, potassium, iron, and magnesium. They also yield complete protein source which highly improves the quality of health and diet.

See Also: Shifting Your Family To The “Real Food” Diet 

Bone Broth

Bone broth has been a breakthrough in protein supplementation in the body. This add-on to the diet can be easily prepared to improve one’s health in a myriad of ways. One can procure higher immunity due to the presence of high amounts of amino acids. It can also promote weight loss and healthy guts because of the amino acids present.

The knowledge about the human body and its functions allow one to know how Nutrisystem works. These helpful facts make people more aware of the things that could promote better health. Moreover, these help people in choosing the best and the worst options they could include in their own diet plans. The food one eats, as well as the activities one performs, will greatly play a big role in determining the health and wellness of an individual in the years to come.

Always remember, health is wealth!

See Also: A List of Superfoods You Definitely Need in Your Diet 

 

The post Eat These Protein Superfoods For Breakfast appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2lr54jt

Creating stunning new content regularly is a hell of a task, I know. Are you plagued by the same concerns? Low on time to create converting content? Looking for smart ways to use your old and existing content to drive more visits to your blog?

Here are 5 superb methods to help you create new content faster.

Transform Your Webinar Content Into A Series of YouTube Episodes

If you have already done a few webinars, you can reuse them to drive visits to your websites. Begin by collecting related webinars together. Now, split them into 10 (or 6) minute videos, and create a whole episodic series of short advice videos. You can then shares these episodes one by one on your YouTube channel, and during each upload, suggest the viewer hop over to your website to get a sneak-peek into the upcoming episode.

Check out Moz’s list of YouTube tools to optimize your video content, and increase the campaign’s effectiveness. I’ve used this tactic and literally tripled the eventual success of my webinars by transforming them into a series of YouTube episodes.

Weave Your Related Blog Posts into An Ebook

Not done any webinars yet? No issues. I am sure you have a few super successful blog posts already. Arrange posts from a single niche together, and weave them into a nice and comprehensive ebook. I’d say 80% of your work is copy paste, and the rest is about connecting the dots and organizing the content into a book form. Once your ebook is ready, you can use it as a freebie to promote lead generation from your blog landing pages (motivate users to share email ID by offering free ebook). ShoutMeLoud’s list of top ebook creation tools will help you.

See Also: 5 Proven Strategies That Can Massively Increase Blog Traffic

Use Your Old Website A/B Test Experiences As Knowledge With the World

In the past couple of years, experimental data and case studies have grown as a more sophisticated and effective method of building credibility and authority in one’s niche. Did you run an A/B test on your website, to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing strategies, landing page’s conversion ratio, buying guides on your e-stores, or keyword research?

Well, if you have the data with you, and memory that serves you well, you can organize it all, and share your experience-based outcomes in the form of a case study. Also, remember this tactic the next time you do any kind of comparisons and testing for your website. Such a case study will help you build authority, and can aid in email marketing and lead generation activities.

Let Your Powerpoint Presentations Do Some Magic

I’m assuming you’d have created at least a few presentations (Powerpoint, or any other) in the past couple of years. Why let them eat dust? Get them all, put them in a folder, organize the content, update them wherever necessary, and give them a makeover by using a decent template. Once done, you have a whole gold mine of slides that can bring traffic to your web pages.

To achieve this, create a SlideShare account, upload the presentations there, and embed some of the slides into your web pages. Be creative, and you can easily motivate readers to share email ids in exchange of complete decks. I strongly advise you to check out LifeHack’s list of top 10 suggestions to create stunning PowerPoint presentations.

The Quora Method of Repurposing Your Old Blog Posts to Garner Fresh Traffic

A lot of bloggers and content marketers like you are excited about Quora. Here’s a tactic to help you make the most of it. Study some of the more successful blog posts you have done. Now, go to Quora, and search for questions that are answered, to some extent, by your posts.

Hint: Go for Quora questions with the high number of upvotes, because it means they are in demand, and actively visited.

Now, answer the question on Quora in your words, and suggest readers check out the finer details by visiting your blog post.

See Also: 8 Common Content Marketing Myths You Should Stop Believing

 

The post Advanced Tips and Hacks To Help You Reuse Old Content for More Traffic appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2lSZq7j

If you truly believe you’re lucky, and therefore trust all the odds are consistently in your favor, what impact would that have on your life? Does the pure belief that you’re lucky explain the winning streaks some people ride?

I think aligning luck to the placebo effect is a convenient explanation for the phenomenon we observe as fortunate chance. But it doesn’t explain the entire equation to my satisfaction.

Tangible Luck

Say you were hypnotized into believing you were super lucky, and everything was working in your favor, how would you be feeling? Pretty awesome!

And because you’re feeling like life is pretty amazing right now, the people you’re hanging out with are going to pick up on that vibe too. They’re going to see you as a happy, positive resource and want to spend more time in your presence.

When they’re around you, their empathy gets stronger, and when this happens to people, our reticular activating system opens up to possibility. Why is this good for us? It means we will perceive more opportunity in the events around us that would otherwise be filtered out if our brain was in a stressed out ‘fight or flight’ mode.

We frame our point-of-view of our current circumstances to fit a pre-conceived narrative we think fits our life. These usually sound something like – “Why me?”, “It’s not my fault things are this way!”, or “Nothing good ever happens to me”.

But if you take the time to use a different lens to see life and understand everything is totally up to you, then as Oprah says, “luck is when preparation meets opportunity”. Change those thoughts to “Today is going to be great”, “Luck is on my side”, and “I wonder what amazing things luck will bring to me!”

The trick is to frame life up differently, with positivity and without victimization. Understand you’ve created everything in your life to this point, and choose to be optimistic and proactive to change it. This will literally switch your mindset, which then sends out the right messages to invite the luck in. Believe you are lucky and you’re half way there.

Theoretical luck

To understand the theory around luck, you must see consciousness as a pervading intelligence. Look at a group of organisms like a school of fish whose movements are synchronized perfectly. It’s like they have a shared consciousness and operate as a single organism. Their conscious threshold is deeper than ours; they have much less self, and a more expansive point-of-view of the group.

So the consciousness that is the school of fish is above the point-of-view of any particular individual but it’s still consciousness. It’s the same consciousness that powers you, and consciousness has desire.

So how do you become the ‘lucky’ person who gets the bright idea? Invents the greatest new tech gadget? Launches a super successful business? You must open yourself up to be the conduit for the larger universal consciousness and the desires it carries with it. Look at life through this filter, and then you can almost predict who’s going to become successful and who isn’t. Others may perceive it as luck, but those who channel this energy know differently.

Happy-go-lucky

Attitude also plays into it a lot. If the universe has desires, we’re talking big picture consciousness, why is it going to express itself and reveal the secrets to you?

We’re not going to be open to these opportunities if we’re stressed out, playing the blame game, or in a state of inaction. The high level consciousness will skim right over us and onto the gal who IS motivated, happy-go-lucky and proactive. The universe tries to give us these gifts; it’s our job to keep being enthusiastic, positive, and FUN to attract them!

If you were going to hang out with someone for the duration of a project, wouldn’t you prefer them to be energetic, happy and bright? As opposed to a negative excuse maker who constantly complains? I know whom I’d rather partner with. It’s the same for universal energy.

See Also: 4 Ways to Enjoy Each Day and Do More With Your Life 

Luck is a way of thinking and behaving. If you think you’re lucky, you’re going to put yourself in the headspace where you’ll attract it. You must keep making the moves, taking the actions with positive attitude and playfulness. But ultimately, you must believe in the magic of the bigger picture consciousness. Become a servant to your chosen ideal, remain grounded in who you are, and watch as luck gravitates towards you.

Good luck on your journey!
Shane Krider

 

The post How to Become Lucky appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2kNJbaI

The day of love is upon us, Valentines Day! Some look forward to this day as they await patiently for their flower or candy delivery from their loved one. For others, it’s a good day to call in sick, watch slasher films, and avoid the commercialized symbolism of love. I’m often asked about love and relationships. Many find it easy to get into a relationship but not too long afterward they feel dissatisfied.

There is a reason you stay on the relationship rollercoaster. It’s damn exciting…until you’re completely nauseated. You jump off and compose yourself but then jump right back on only remembering the thrill. It’s ok to do this for a while. What else is youth for? But if you’re caught in this cycle, it can be self-destructive.

If you’re ready for lasting love instead of swiping tinder on your lunch break or hitting the hottest happy hours in hopes of getting swept off your barstool, try these three steps.

DECIDE what you really want in a mate

Many can jabber on about physical features or the size of a desired bank account. But let’s get real folks; that’s not all there is to it. What you really want from a life partner is similar to what you want for yourself in the future. Opposites may attract but they usually don’t last.

What are your hobbies, desires, ideology that you would like to have in common with a mate? What do you need from a partner emotionally?

Make a list of what is truly important to you. Also, make a list of things you do NOT want. Does sarcasm rub you the wrong way? If you’re a thrill seeker, don’t entertain dating a homebody. Get specific with earnest attributes that are good for YOU. If you don’t have a clear picture of what you want, it will be hard for the Universe to accommodate you.

COMMIT to yourself

What does that mean? Commit to the list! You’ve taken the time to decide what kind of partner is right for you, so stick to it. Stop wasting time on everyone else. If you go out one night and meet Mr. GQ or Mr. Moneybags but he’s the opposite of what you truly desire, run the other way. Don’t get caught up in surface level characteristics; otherwise, you’ll be complaining how you’ve wasted six months (or longer) dating Mr. Wrong.

A friend once set me up on a dutch dinner date with someone who was supposedly a ‘real catch’ and outwardly he was. It was going great so afterward, we went to my place to watch a movie. Without asking me, he started eating my leftover takeout until it was gone. It was a red flag for me and I never took another call nor saw him again. When my friend ask why I didn’t return his call, I simply said, “Because he ate my cheeseburger”.

Okay, it’s wasn’t ALL about the burger. But I didn’t want to waste time when I was completely turned off on the first date. Some media outlets want you to think that there is only a small pool of single men or women so you better hook one quickly. That’s simply not true. When you commit to what’s right for you and show the Universe that you will not settle for less, it will provide.

See Also: How to Handle a New Relationship

ENGAGE on a personal level with the potential partner before engaging in any sexual activity

I’m not trying to suppress your sexual expression or feminism or whatever reason it is that you hop in the sack on the second date. It’s about your commitment you’ve made to yourself. Does he have the attributes on the list? And no you cannot rattle off questions the first night checking each item like you would go about your grocery list. It takes time.

Have those three hour long conversations on the phone. Take long walks together or Sunday drives. It’s easier to open up when you don’t have to make constant eye contact. Get to know each other on a genuine level. Sex is subjective so don’t muddy the water by jumping into the sack too quickly.

See Also: Tips for a Healthy Relationship

When you make definitive decisions about what’s right for you and stick to, it the Universe will make a path for that person. It’s really that simple.

Love and Light
Michele~

 

The post Get off the Roller Coaster: 3 Steps to a Lasting Relationship appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2kVW6Ka

When you’re in rehab, you have a support system of therapists, group leaders and fellow patients. However, when you go back to your everyday life, you may suddenly find yourself alone. It can be difficult to get through work and your other responsibilities without anyone there to soothe you.

Perhaps you don’t live near family and friends, or they’re enablers. They also may just not understand what you’re going through and not be able to help. If you don’t have a therapist you see regularly either, you may feel lost.

After rehab, it’s crucial that you have a period where you can transition back into your everyday life and get on your feet again. This can be difficult to do, especially when substance abuse was your primary coping mechanism. You need people you can turn to who are reliable, as well as places you can go if you feel like you’re slipping back into your old behaviors.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can garner support during this tough time. The following are places to look for support during your post-rehab recovery period:

Individual or Group Therapy

Before you exit rehab, you should be set up with a private therapist who has addiction counseling experience. If that didn’t happen, ask your rehab for referrals.

Depending on your situation, you may want to visit a marriage or family therapist, too. An alternative to individual or family therapy is addiction group therapy, which may be lower in cost and give you more of a support system.

Peer-to-Peer Support Groups

Recovery support groups, or peer-to-peer groups, are essential to your recovery. It’s been proven that when you join these types of meetings, you are much more likely to stay sober. Similar to rehab, you are connected with people who are going through the same or similar situations. They’ve all struggled with addiction and know where you are coming from, so you won’t feel like an outcast or like you don’t belong. In fact, you should feel accepted and related to.

Two popular peer-to-peer groups are Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. You can use Addiction.com’s meeting finder to determine the most convenient location for you. In AA and NA, participants stand up, explain why they are in the group and how it has changed their life, as well as what their path to recovery has been like. Then, other members can volunteer to talk about their stories too. You may even establish a relationship with a sponsor you can call if you’re in need of help or you just want to check in. These are informal settings, so there is no pressure to share or connect with a sponsor if you don’t want to.

Organizations like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence give you information on the various types of meetings available as well.

You may also find support within your local church, synagogue or mosque, or you can use a toll-free telephone hotline if you find yourself in need. Most of these hotlines are staffed 24/7 with helpful individuals who can give you referrals for additional support.

Your Rehab Facility

If you live near your rehab facility, they may provide support to you as part of an ongoing outpatient program. Most likely, your rehab will set you up with support outside of the facility. They will be there for you in your time of need, however, so don’t hesitate to reach out to them at any point.

A Successful Recovery Is Possible

Addiction recovery is not easy. Without the care and support of friends, family and professionals, you may feel like you can’t get through the hard times.

But don’t despair. Wherever you live, you can find a meeting, a therapist, friends, or simply pick up the phone to talk to someone on a hotline. Always remember that it’s normal to need help from a variety of sources at this time, even if it means going to groups and talking one-on-one with mental health professionals.

A full recovery outside of rehab is possible. It just takes time, patience and a little work to find the support you need to succeed.

See Also: 8 Drug Addiction Treatment Programs To Help You Break Free

The post Where to Find Friends and Support During Addiction Recovery appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2lM6PIV

The funny thing about credit scores is that hardly anyone ever notices them until you need to buy a big ticket item. Swiping left and right is all fun and games until you need to make an adult purchase — like a house or a car. Chances are, you’ll need to take on a home loan or get car finance. Seems simple, right?

Now, imagine being excited to finally get the car of your dreams and then all of a sudden your application gets rejected because you have bad credit.

What does having bad credit mean?

When you try to borrow money from any institution, the deciding factor on whether or not you’ll be given a loan (or how big the loan will be) is your credit score. In the simplest sense, your credit score is the expression or representation of your trustworthiness with borrowed money from the lender’s point of view.

This score is determined by a form of point system in which the numbers are taken from your credit history. When you pull together the sum total of these points, you get a statistical “proof” of your reliability with debt.

Your score can sit anywhere between 0 and 1200. The higher your score, the higher your chances of being given a loan or finance (GOOD CREDIT). This is because higher scores generally tell financiers that you’re more likely to make repayments on time (or at all). In the same way, the lower your score, the lower your chances of getting a lease or loan, and the more wary institutions would be in lending to you (BAD CREDIT).

How do I get a good credit score?

The process of getting a good credit score is pretty straightforward. All of the basic things that lenders want you to do are already within the realm of your responsibility.

Here are few general rules for keeping a healthy credit score:

• Don’t max out your credit cards
• Make repayments on time
• Don’t skip on payments – make an arrangement
• Pay attention to notices and respond as soon as possible
• Check your credit report regularly to ensure that all information is in order
• If/as soon as you find them, fix any mistakes that have been made on your credit report

Getting a bad credit report, on the other hand, entails doing the exact opposite. If you miss out on payments or forgo them altogether, or if you keep maxing out your credit cards, you will get a bad credit score. The more late payments, maxed out cards,or notices you ignore, the more negatively impacted your credit score will be.

See Also: 4 Ways to Start Building Great Credit 

How to find out if I have bad credit

The simplest way to find out is by checking your credit report. Australian credit reporting agencies like Veda should be able to help you with this. It does take a bit of time because of its application process and requirements, but this should definitely be your first step to checking for your credit health.

Even without checking your credit report, there are a few warning signs that you’re going towards the wrong end of the credit spectrum.

Pay attention if or when you start to get multiple call and letters from debt agencies. This is a tell tale sign that your score may be going lower and lower.

The same goes for having a flurry of unpaid bills, credit card defaults, overdue balances, and notices of assessment from debt collectors. You don’t have to experience all of these at the same time. Being in just one of these situations is already a red flag for your credit report.

How does bad credit affect me?

As discussed earlier, your credit score shows lenders how reliable you’ll be with repayments should they lend or loan to you. Bad credit limits your options on who to borrow from, how much will be lent to you, and the interest rates of your loan. While there are financing institutions who will give you second chance car finance or bad credit home loans, they may be a little trickier to find.

While debt and credit relations are a little more common knowledge, there are a few seemingly unrelated effects to having bad credit. Who would have thought that landlords would actually check credit before letting you sign a lease? If you find yourself having difficulties getting approved for an apartment, it may be time to check your credit score.

You’d also be surprised to know that certain jobs especially in upper management, actually require you to have a good credit history. You can be turned down for a job or promotion because of things like bankruptcy, large debts, outstanding bills, and other negative items in your credit report.

They don’t look at your scores per se, rather things that may potentially affect your job performance. The expectation is that the more personal financial problems you have, the more likely and negatively impacted your performance will be.

How do I fix my credit rating?

The whole irony of the situation is that, more often than not, you have to take on another loan to fix a credit rating that may have gone down due to previous loans. The idea is to repair your credit by showing lenders that you can use credit responsibly. The trouble is — having bad credit makes access to new credit or new loans quite difficult. This is much like the whole “Need a job for experience – need experience for a job” kind of scenario.

Before you go around looking for new loans to take out, start first with what you have. Make sure that your existing home and utility bills, phone bills, internet bills, credit card bills and other recurring bills are paid for regularly. This way you get into the habit of paying for things on time and managing your money better.

Once you’re comfortable with this new routine, start small before going big. Take out a small loan or apply for a credit card to prove that you are financially trustworthy. If you can make repayments on time, lenders may just give you the benefit of the doubt with a larger loan.

If there is a larger more immediate need, let’s say for a car for a new job, you can also go with bad credit car loan companies to help you out. Interests might be a little higher, but they do create repayment packages that make it easier for tighter cash flows.

A car lease with rent-to-own option, even from a second chance car finance company, will definitely help you boost your credit rating — if you’re always on time with repayments. It also helps you kill two birds with one stone considering you’ll be rebuilding credit while having the vehicle that you need.

See Also: 6 Step To Improve Your Credit Score Now 

 

The post The Aussie Guide to Bad Credit & What to Do About It appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2kT9miC

I got a message this morning from a guy in London who wanted my advice on setting up a peer-to-peer taxi service to rival Uber and Lyft. He reckoned he had a USP, but I was already walking away from this assignment.

I explained that he’d broken one of the basic rules of goal-setting. The one about reality.

Uber raised over $12bn to get where they are, Lyft around $2bn so far. My loner in his home office might manage that, but chances are he won’t. Ever.

Of course, he also might win the lottery. All he has to do is buy a ticket, right?

I like to be brutally honest with my clients. More to redirect than demoralize of course, so here are 5 ways to test if your well-meaning idea might never create a successful business.

Reason 1: Barriers to entry

Many industries require big investment in machinery, technology and people just to get started. That’s a barrier to entry if you’ve got limited access to funds.

Other barriers could be the need to obtain licences, authorisation or qualifications before you’re able to trade. The most common barrier though, is the cost of being heard.

Do you have a viable route to market at a price you can afford?

If you don’t, then find a different idea.

Reason 2: Misaligned skills

You’re an accounts assistant looking to escape the grind of the company you’re working for. Setting up your own bookkeeping firm might be a realistic goal.

On the other hand, deciding to launch a children’s nursery just because you have a child of your own isn’t an indicator of success by itself. Learning ABOUT your business whilst also learning how to run it might just be a stretch too far.

Think “I am able to do this” rather than a loose “I would like to do this”.

Reason 3: Poor goal-setting

It’s been said many times, many ways that goals need to be specific, measurable and realistic. Beyond that, your goals need to inspire you.

Goals are not just about numbers. You have to really WANT to achieve them. You have to live and breathe your goals. Missing them has to feel like dying.

Can you quantify goals that mean the world to you?

You should.

See Also: Gardeners Have the Secret Sauce for Goal-Setting 

Reason 4: Me-too!

It’s tempting and even inspiring to look at a successful business and think “I could do that”. Maybe you could, but here’s the news: they already did it.

The market for anything can only take a certain supply before it’s saturated. New entrants then face an uphill struggle to be heard, and a downhill race to the bottom as they attempt to compete on price.

Try this instead: do something new and better.

Reason 5: No market

I had a friend who had a hunch. Actually, more an itch he had to scratch.

Based on his experience of fixing his mother’s washing machine (and thereby saving her the perceived cost of replacement), he reckoned he could start his own domestic appliance repair business.

He had a van and some tools, right?

Wrong. Nobody fixes their white goods anymore, as he found out too late.

Cost of replacement is low, products are generally reliable and extended warranties abound. As the TV Dragons might say: Congratulations, you’ve found a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist!

Brain Tattoo:

Don’t waste your precious life trying to polish a poo.
Every successful business starts with a great idea.
Find yours, and connect to it.

See Also: Five Steps To Turn Doing What You Love Into A Successful Business

 

The post 5 Reasons Your Business Idea Is Rubbish appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2kxBDb3

A lot goes into planning and executing a move especially when it’s long distance. Even if you’re just moving across town, there are a lot of logistics to plan for, from packing the boxes, to packing the truck, and finally organizing your new place to make it a new home.

Regardless of how far you’re moving from your current home, here are 7 tips to help make packing and moving smooth and (nearly) stress-free.

Packing Boxes More Efficiently

Packing boxes takes a lot of time, but it is so much easier when you have all of the supplies you need on hand. Purchase boxes, bubble wrap, and packing paper to keep breakable items safe while in transit to your new home.

Sheets, blankets, and towels should be packed in larger boxes since they tend to be lighter, while smaller and more sturdy boxes are best saved for breakable and heavy items like dishes, glasses, and other kitchen appliances.

See Also: Protect Your Breakable Items By Following These Packing Tips

What Not to Pack

Keep important documents like medical records, school documents, and anything you may need at your new house handy so you can access them as needed. Consider packing a backpack with these items along with anything else that is irreplaceable or you’d rather not lose, like jewelry, cash, prescriptions, and keys.

Additionally, don’t pack anything perishable, toxic, or dangerous like dairy products, fertilizer, or gasoline. Instead, dispose of them in a safe, environmentally friendly manner before you move.

Get Organized

Create a plan to help break your move into more manageable pieces. Set deadlines and stick to them to keep yourself on track so you’ll be all finished with packing and ready to load the moving truck come moving day. Label your boxes clearly, and have an idea where they’ll go in your new house to make unpacking that much easier.

Decide Whether or Not to Hire Movers

A professional moving company has the potential to make your move easier, but is hiring one the best fit for you? If you have the extra money in your budget, it might be a good option considering that hiring movers has the potential to save you the stress and backache that often accompany loading the moving truck yourself.

Generally speaking, the only disadvantage to hiring movers is the cost—moving companies tend to be pretty pricey. You’ll need to weigh through the pros and cons to determine whether a moving company is worth the financial investment for you.

See Also: Penny Packers: How to Move on a Budget

Make Moving Day Easier

Planning ahead is the best way to make moving day go smoothly. Make sure you have help lined up if you need it, and that you have water and snacks on hand to keep any helpers sustained and happy.

Pack an overnight bag with a change of clothes, your toiletries, and anything else you’ll need over the next 24 hours. This way, you won’t have to frantically sort through boxes to find what you need when you’re already exhausted from the move.

How to Pack a Moving Truck

As you label boxes, consider marking heavier ones so you know what to load up first in your truck. Make sure you have extra packing equipment ready to make loading the truck go smoother like a dolly to move large furniture and heavy boxes, stretch wrap to protect furniture and other large items, and extra straps and bungee cords to secure items.

Unloading and Unpacking

Prior to unloading the moving truck, take a walk through your new home to get a good idea where you want things to go. Measure doorways to be sure furniture will fit through, and lay down plastic tarps to cover the floor to prevent dirt and mud from being tracked through your house. Unload furniture first and place it in the desired rooms, then unload everything else and start getting settled in your new home. If others are helping you unload, you might consider adding cards to doorways with room labels that match your box labels. This will make it easy for movers to place your boxes in the right rooms.

Don’t Forget to Make a Plan

Making a plan and staying organized are essential to a positive moving experience, and who doesn’t want to have one of those? With the help of these 7 moving tips, you’re well on your way to crafting the ideal moving-day plan for your unique situation!

 

The post Packing Made Simple: 7 Tips to Make Your Move Go Smoother appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2lgTxn3

I am sure that you have heard the saying that if you have never failed at anything, then you never tried anything. This saying is quite true. Ask the big captains of industry and the inventors of things that changed the face of humanity, and they will tell you how they kept moving from failure to failure. I certainly agree with those who say that the real challenge is not in falling, rather it is in your ability to rise up after every failure.

Learning to deal with failure is not something you start learning when you are an adult. It is actually something you have to learn especially while you are still going to college. This is the reason why I am starting this article by looking at the common instances of failure while you are still in school and college. I have also looked at rejection when you apply for a place in college or a job. You will certainly be glad to hear that when you fail, you are not the first and you will certainly not be the last.

Failure In College

I still remember when I arrived in college for the first time. It had not yet dawned on me that college was a lot different from high school. No one had told me that essay-writing in college is something which requires research and diligence. I just thought that I would use my natural intelligence and everything would be fine.

I was in for a rude awakening. For the first time in my life, I got a mark below 50%. However, this never happened again as one of my professors took the time to give me pointers. As you can see, it was through failure that I discovered a very important lesson.

Expulsion

Another big failure for many students in college is being expelled. While I was in college, two of my friends were expelled; one for failing to hand over the minimum number of assignments for a given semester and another one for presenting work of another student as his own. My friend actually thought that since the assignments were going to be marked by different professors, they would not see that the work was the same.

He was wrong. The college was now using a new system where all assignments were checked for plagiarism. In the event that another assignment had already been submitted to this system, if you attempted to submit another one which is the same, the system would flag it. His biggest problem was that even when he had been caught, he refused to accept that he had done something wrong. So he was put before a disciplinary committee which found him guilty.

Rejected College Application

Another big source of disappointment for many college students is when they fail to get space in a college that they want to go to. There is usually more competition when it comes to getting into really good colleges. Many more people are rejected at such colleges than are accepted. I do not think that this should be viewed as a failure at all. It is not about the college you go to but rather your character and what you can do with your degree. I would rather work with someone who went to a lesser known college but has a great work ethic than someone who has been to the Ivy League with a wrong attitude.

A Job Taken By Someone Else

Only after leaving college do you see that it is a jungle out there. Sooner rather than later, those expectations of a corner office with air conditioning start to fade away with each regret letter you get from the employers of your choice. It is easy to start thinking that maybe something is wrong with you. Well, nothing is wrong with you, there are millions of other graduates competing for the same job and the very same corner office you have in your imagination.

Sometimes, you know that the job was going to be yours if it had not been stolen by someone who already knows someone else in the company. You feel hurt because you know you could do a great job if you had been given the chance.

Tips On Finding Inspiration After Failing

The good thing about failure is that it is actually not the end. You can use the following tips to find inspiration after failure.

Accept Your Weaknesses. Every human being has weaknesses. The first thing you need to do after failing is to accept that it has happened to you because failure happens to human beings. Accepting this helps you to accept that this is not a reflection of your life as a whole. It is just a temporary setback.

Accept That Everyone Fails. Show me anyone who has never failed in their lives and I will show you someone who has never lifted a finger. Everybody has had experience of failure before. This should comfort you.

See Also: Your Ability To Fail Without Fear Is A Requirement To Reach Your Goals

Accept That You Are In Control. When you are expelled from college, when your application is rejected, or when someone else takes a job you thought was yours, it is easy to blame others for it. When you stop the blame game and take responsibility, you are growing. It helps you to address any deficiencies you may have.

See The Lesson. The biggest thing you can take from failure is the lesson it has taught you. This gives you a chance to examine your life. It gives you a chance to introspect. If there are any weaknesses you need to address, you will only be able to see them after doing this soul searching. There are many lessons I would never have learned if I had not failed.

Pain Helps You Grow. You will find inspiration if you accept that the pain you get from failure helps you to grow. There are certain things you will not understand until you have had a chance to live them. For example, you would not know what it feels like to lose a job unless you had lost one before. We only learn the feeling of losing a loved one after we have lost a loved one. That is the essence of life.

It Gives Material For Stories. If you have ever listened to a story about how someone succeeded against the odds, you are essentially listening to a story about failure. The reason why the story is moving you is because someone has learned from the failures of their lives.

See Also: Why The Road to Success is Always Full of Failures 

Failure should never be considered as something permanent. It only becomes permanent if you allow it to defeat you. It’s something that happens to all human beings who have ambitions. If we look at the lessons we can learn from our failure, we will soon realize that in order to succeed, we have to be prepared to fail. It should never be seen as the end, but rather the beginning of a new way of looking at life.

 

The post How To Find Inspiration After A Big Failure appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2ktBwxy

Swift, as many of you would know, is the programming language for iOS developed by Apple after Objective-C. Swift was launched approximately two years back and it was an instant hit among the iPhone app development services. With a few new releases and version updates, Swift has been able to swiftly and effortlessly replace its predecessor—the Objective-C. Due to the ease of use, it is the first choice made by professionals who offer iPhone app development services.

When I personally started using Swift, it took some time before I got accustomed to it. But then, the more I worked on it, the more I grew fond of it.

In this blog, I will focus on the top 5 reasons why I fell in love with Swift:

Multiple-Features

Swift has a lot of features that provide ease, flexibility, and liberty to be creative. In terms of ease and flexibility, Swift offers short and adept syntax and community support. In terms of liberty, Swift lets you create your own extensions and share them across the community for all associated members. Swift lets you learn by making use of the integrated playground that is your medium to experiment and create new things.

Easy to Learn

Another feature why I fell in love with Swift is its adaptability and easy-to-learn feature. Basic knowledge and working module can be learnt through online videos posted by advance developers.

These posted videos provide some specific ideas on how to go about Swift. The learning is also easy because of Apple’s stringent procedure of approving its product therefore the videos which are posted on Apple’s official eBook can be truly relied on. Swift users are also givers — givers in the sense that they provide details about their hard work and process. By sharing, they make life easier for amateur Swift users.

Futuristic

The best part of Swift is that it is futuristic. This feature makes Swift the most used language by developers because it of its ability to solve any task. Swift is in-built with ARC (Automatic Reference Counting) which allows Swift to give proper results by guessing the searched words similar to Google’s auto-complete feature for word searches. It is perhaps the only language which can be used simultaneously with Objective-C.

Swift Development

Swift is really swift. It is perhaps the fastest among all the programming languages. However, it requires iOS 7 or macOS10.9 versions. With the use of Swift, you receive fast results which enable you to overcome any problem in the development stage. It is a huge time-saver.

Debugging

Many programming languages struggle in debugging during development. iPhone app development services providers take utmost precaution to overcome such instances. In contrast, Swift has the ability to debug in the process of development. With use of real eval print loop (REPL), it is easily to debug scripts. Swift is therefore considered to be ideal for quality system programming language.

Conclusion

With Swift, there are immense opportunities and a lot of those rely on your skills. If you are a Swift fan, share your knowledge and the reasons you prefer Swift as your programming language.

 

The post 5 Reasons Why I Fell in Love with Swift appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2ksvahz