Differentiating what one can change and what one cannot control in life can be invaluable for some people. As obvious as it sounds, there is no point in trying to change what is outside of one’s control.
However, that shouldn’t always be the case.
Although we can’t control everything, we still have the power to change how things can affect us. And it starts with changing perceptions.
Why We Should Do This
A full understanding of the things that are out of our control gives us a greater sense of power and authority over our own lives. Accepting our inability to influence many external events allows us to focus our time on the things we can change.
For example, we cannot change our past but we can certainly change our future by influencing the present. We always have the choice to focus on the parts of our lives that can make us happier. A lot of people fail to realize this and they get pushed to a series of disappointments trying to chase things outside their control.
Although there are things in our lives that we don’t have control over, we can always work on how we think of them. How we react to a situation is ultimately our choice. One can choose his own perception of a certain event.
Take, for example, traffic.
We can’t always control the traffic in front of us but we can choose how we’ll react to it. We can shout and argue or stay calm and collected.
“Reality doesn’t bite, rather our perception of reality bites” – Anthony J.D’Angelo
In essence, there are still some controllable aspects to the things we consider uncontrollable. Once you know what they are, you’ll have more power, freedom, and clarity.
We have our own mind and its power is endless. Our choices can never be taken away from us.
How You Can Start
You can start off by identifying which areas of your life are outside and inside of your control. By differentiating them, it will give you more clarity.
Once you know the things that you don’t have too much control over, examine your feelings about them. If you realize that you are unhappy, try to start changing perceptions. You’ll be surprised at how much it can improve your life.
A common example is the rain. We cannot change the weather; it is external to us. If it rains, we should let go of any negative emotion and simply accept that we cannot do anything about it. We can, however, change our perception of it. We can either complain and be miserable, or we can choose to be strong about it and see it in a positive manner. Rain today will allow us to appreciate sunny weather tomorrow. Also, rain in itself can be a pleasurable thing. There is no point building up negative energy within you for things which are not in your control.
The Benefits
1. We will live a happier life. Once we realize that most of the things that don’t make us happy are outside of our control, we can easily start changing perceptions.
For example, when we know that we can’t force certain people to agree with us all the time, we can accept that they won’t agree and therefore be at peace with it.
2. We will live a life feeling more powerful. Although we can’t win all battles, there are still things in our lives that can be controlled. We just have to realize that we have an advantage over them.
3. We will live a life with greater clarity and focus. The more we understand that it is our choices that shape us, we’ll be able to have a better understanding of the people around us.
4. It will motivate us. Because we now have a greater sense of control, we can start working harder towards the goals that truly matter to us.
We shouldn’t let outside events get in the way of pursuing our dreams. Instead, we should focus more on the things we have more control over, like changing perceptions and choices.
These tips will take time and effort before they can completely change your thought process. The positives, however, far outweigh the negatives of inaction so just keep trying.
Don’t try to change what you can’t control. Instead, start changing your perceptions and you can change your reality.
What do Mark Zuckerburg, Arianna Huffington, Jerry Seinfeld, and The Terminator have in common?
They’ve all been ridiculously successful by hacking their productivity, often in super simple ways. And they’ve all been generous enough to share their methods so that you can benefit, too. Inspired by CEOs, best-selling authors, and even comedians, we’ve collected a gigantic list of advice that can really make a difference.
It’s split into 7 sections. Motivation and Time Management need no explanation. The Productivity and Organisation tips are perfect for busy people. Focus and Success Attitude teach about mindset, and finally there’s a section we’ve dubbed ‘Uncommon Hacks’ – you might find them esoteric or odd, but they’ve been proven to work.
If you have employees, colleagues, or friends who need a boost in productivity and success, please share this post with them!
MOTIVATION
Be clear where you are going
Identify three things: a daily mantra, your short-term goal, and your long-term goal.
Visualize your dream as done and achieved
Visualize what you want to achieve before you sleep and as soon as you wake up. Consider it done and in the flesh. As you close your eyes, your visualization should be the strongest and most intense you can make it. Say it is a target profit from your business of $5,000. You should be able to see the money, feel the bills in your hand, and smell the scent of this money.
Print and pin up or use as wallpaper on your desktop or mobile
Create intermittent visual reminders during the day. Use it as your screensaver on your gadgets. Pin up a printed sheet on your workstation, your bathroom mirror, and refrigerator door.
There is no perfect time; only now
Waiting for the perfect time to start doing something is the perfect procrastination ploy. There is no perfect time. You will always feel quite sleepy, tired, full from a meal, or uncomfortable. Sit down and take that first step in your task.
Take ONE step
Whenever you get stuck, lost, or procrastinate big time, take one step. After you finish this one task, move on to the next step. Keep moving forward until you get in the flow and you find yourself completing your big task.
Reward yourself with power boosts
Rewarding yourself whenever you hit your short-term goals is no rocket science. Take it one step further by making sure that your rewards do not undermine your goals, and instead, contribute to them. For example, a huge tub of ice cream will just send you to a sugar crash. (More on this below)
Reward yourself instead with a healthy sushi meal, a new pair of running shoes, or an affordable massage cushion. Studies of massage therapy, for example, show an overall reduction in stress, anxiety, and heart rate. Now that’s a power boost!
Have a mentor
A good mentor will help keep you on track and keep you from making newbie mistakes. This saves you considerable time and energy that would otherwise just be wasted.
TIME MANAGEMENT
Schedule according to energy – not importance
Identify your golden time and do your hardest tasks during this time period. What is the time of day where your energy and focus is at its peak? Identify and line-up your most brain-intensive tasks for optimal productivity. You’ll enjoy your day better once your hardest tasks are out of the way.
Eat the frog first
Sounds gross! But, this only means doing the ugly, unpleasant things that you need to do first over the tasks you actually like to do but aren’t that high up in priority. Here’s how you should be prioritizing:
The things you don’t want to do, but need to do
The things you want to do, and actually need to do
The things you want to do, but don’t need to do
The things you don’t want to do and don’t need to do
Ditch youtube and the cat videos
Don’t kid yourself. That 10-minute Youtube break to clear your head won’t end at 10 minutes. This is me speaking from painful experience. I gave Rescue Time a whirl and I was shocked to realize how much time I actually was on YouTube. I’ve since replaced it with stretching, Donothingfor2minutes, or memorizing Japanese kanji.
Say NO
Being pressured to say yes to doing certain tasks derails you and keeps you from doing your own stuff. Have the confidence to say no when needed.
Do not snooze your alarm
When you wake up in the morning, don’t fall into the trap of snoozing your alarm repeatedly. It’s a bad start and will make you feel bad the rest of the day. Waking up early, on the other hand, has been proven to be a huge productivity and morale booster. Embrace the morning hours!
PRODUCTIVITY
Seinfeld’s don’t-break-the-chain method
Use a calendar system to keep yourself going on a certain habit. Jerry Seinfeld utilized a big wall calendar and a big red magic marker. For every day he wrote on his blog, he put a big red X.
“After a few days, you’ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You’ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain.”
Pomodoro Technique
Using a timer (whether physical or digital), break down your work into intervals of 25 minutes or however long works best for you. In between would be short breaks. A successful chain of pomodoros result in longer breaks.
David Allen’s Two-Minute Rule
If a task can be done in two minutes, do it. Get it out of the way. This will keep small things from snowballing and nagging your mind. Says who? Says the best-selling author of Getting Things Done, that’s who.
Kill the Perfectionist — Productivity VS Perfectionism
Perfectionism at work can be dangerous. It keeps you too long at one task. Instead of trying to do one task to perfection, do more. For example, if you’re writing an article, trying to perfect the first few paragraphs will keep you from finishing. Write now, right later. (Wasn’t that clever?!)
Guido’s Airplane Days
Bryan Guido Hassan noticed that he got some of his best work done in airplanes. Airplane Days is blocking 1-2 days as if you were on a long intercontinental flight. Turn off distractions, restrict internet access, and go through your high-priority items. (See eating the frog)
Facebook’s No Meeting Wednesdays
Facebook has a loose rule wherein Wednesday is set aside so that their engineers could code. Similar to Airplane Days, set Wednesday (or whatever day makes sense) as a No Meeting Day so that employees can focus on their individual tasks all day.
Sunday Check-In
A lot of entrepreneurs and CEO’s check in on work for a brief time on Sundays. The key point is to check in briefly. This allows Mondays to be more manageable.
Ultradian Rhythms and taking breaks
Coined by psychophysiologist Peretz Lavie, ultradian rhythms refer to the natural rhythm that the body cycles through every 90-120 minutes daily. I’ll spare you the complex mumbo jumbo but the key takeaway is to concentrate when energy levels are high AND to rest when energy levels are depleted. Top-tier violinists, for example, practice for only 4.5 hours a day in 90-minute bursts.
FOCUS
Turn off notifications
Distractions cost you more lost time than you think. Turn off notifications for email, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. Check these only at designated times.
Check email twice a day only
Keeping notifications on on your email client is a constant distraction as it breaks your focus on your current task. Check email twice a day only — once before lunch and once more before going off work.
Avoid meetings or set to 30 minutes only
Dragging meetings are huge time-wasters. Set the timer. Include only the people who really need to be there (and not just for FYI or for form).
Ignore your mind playing tricks
When you are trying to focus, your mind will remind you of laundry, undone dishes, corners that need cleaning, or paperwork that needs organizing. Ignore these distractions. Know that it’s your mind playing naughty tricks on you.
Use site blockers
If you know that certain sites make you waste too many precious hours (in my case, it’s YouTube), set up a site blocker. It will help police your bad habits.
Use earbuds or earphones at work
If you share your workspace with other people, earbuds are a good “I’m busy” sign. People are more likely to leave you alone this way.
Do not make eye contact
In the same vein, if you want to concentrate on the task at hand, do not make any eye contact with passing co-workers. Eye contact invites communication.
Smell lemons to wake up
Keep a lemon on hand at work. When you start feeling sleepy or losing focus, squeeze the lemon and smell. It should energize you. Studies show that smelling lemons increases mental stimulation. Other energizing scents are peppermint, rosemary, and eucalyptus (but lemon is my favorite!).
Stop multi-tasking
Multi-tasking is a myth. The brain can only attend to one item at a time. And if you think you’re successfully multi-tasking two tasks — driving and talking on the phone for example — then you’re mistaken. The brain is actually switching its focus from one task to the other thus there is no temporal overlap.
Instead of trying to do several work tasks at once, focus on one thing, and do them well by turns.
Have a focus song
Different people use different types of sound or music to put them in the zone. These include classical music, ambient music, white noise, or even binaural beats. The excerpt below is from one of our old articles and it influenced me to start using focus songs from that point onward.
“You’ve listened to the same song on repeat for almost two decades?!” I asked in disbelief. He just shrugged and said, “Man, I don’t even hear it anymore. I just immediately get in the zone.”
The author’s friend’s focus song happened to be Derek Webb’s “Down Around You”. I scouted around the net and for others, it’s Explosions in the Sky.
Have a cut-off time at night for work and phone
Not checking out after work-hours only sets you up for decreased productivity the next day. At the same time, the blue light from your phone results in insomnia for many people. Keep your phone (and other digital devices) a foot or more away from your head and bed.
Get off social media
If you’re on different platforms, choose only 1 or two at the most and ditch everything else. Checking and keeping up with social media can lead to much wasted time. Instead, hire a social media manager if you need it for your brand.
Set the intention
Before you do one task, set your intention. It’s like a prayer or a meditative state. Close your eyes briefly, focus your energy, and state your intention. For example, “I will finish this business brief today.” Apply this to especially challenging tasks that you have difficulty doing.
Be healthy
Poor health is one of the top causes of poor focus. All-nighters and excessive overtimes are not sustainable for you and your business. Sleep well, eat well, and exercise for consistent high performance. Margaret Heffernan notes that losing one night’s sleep is cognitively equivalent to being over the alcohol limit.
Still don’t believe us? Just ask Arianna Huffington who, while doing emails, passed out, fell, and woke up in a pool of blood, with a broken cheekbone and a cut over her eye. It was the “wake-up call that changed my life,” she says.
ORGANIZATION
Swap to-dos for scheduling
To-do lists can be depressing and set you up for failure instead especially if they are unrealistic for the time frame you set. Instead of daily to-do lists, schedule your tasks instead. I didn’t understand this until I started using the next tip on the list.
Let Google Calendar do all the reminding
If you’re an email rat, utilize Google Calendar. Set it up to remember everything you need to remember including your hourly tasks, if applicable.
Consolidate all your tools and apps
Running and managing too many productivity tools is ironically counter-productive. Pare it down to the core essentials that you need and stick to it. In my case, I currently have a Franz-Slack-Google calendar combo.
Get help and delegate
Don’t try to do everything. Don’t think you’re the only one who can do a certain task. Train the right people well. Let them do 1) shallow tasks or 2) jobs that fall under their specialization. For yourself, do the highest-level tasks that you are best at.
Keep your desk clear
A cluttered desk is a visual cue that brings on stress. Toss the old coffee cups and napkins, throw old paper into the recycle bin, and get your desk organized (but don’t make it an excuse not to work!).
Create process documents via Google Doc for teams
If you work with teams and there are too many working parts and procedures, create a process flow that everyone can access anytime. A Google Doc or spreadsheet is ideal for this. It can be shared, and a well-documented process flow sheet will keep questions, clarifications, and mistakes to the barest minimum.
Create YouTube videos for training
Training new personnel is very time-consuming. Create video tutorials using Snagit or other easy-to-use tools. Do a demo on your PC while explaining as you go. Snagit records your voice and screen as you go. Instant training material! Uploading to YouTube (and setting the privacy settings) helps make the material easily accessible too.
Batch similar tasks
To keep your brain from jumping from one type of task to another, do similar tasks in one go. It will make your day go smoother.
Jot down “forgettables”
Keep a paper and pen on your desk. There are times when we remember to do something but it’s not so urgent for us to break our focus on what we’re currently doing. For these cases, jot them down quickly on a piece of paper. This frees your memory for more important things but keeps you from dropping the ball on these tasks.
Use a password manager
Trying to remember a ton of passwords is too much work. Not only does it take up memory space in your brain, recovering a lost password is very time-consuming. Use Google’s New Smart Lock, 1Password, or LastPass.
Use Pocket to save videos and articles for later
We all come upon interesting stuff we want to read or watch. Rather than stop what you’re doing and breaking your flow, save these with a click using Pocket. Very handy!
Outsource
We all have tasks we hate. For me, it’s rote work. If you have nobody to delegate these tasks to, then outsource them instead. Outsourcing to the amazing workers at great prices is very cost-effective in the long run.
UNCOMMON HACKS
Turn up the heat
The body expends too much energy in keeping itself warm when the temp is too cold. Too-low temperatures make you unproductive. Make sure you have the right temperature in your work or home office. (The recommended temp for your thermostat is 70-77 degrees.)
And vice versa. If it is too warm and hot, you’re likely to feel lethargic. Get a cold shower or turn up the AC.
Stay away from sugar and avoid a sugar hangover
Chocolates, sweets, and other sugary foods can bring on a rush of energy and alertness. However, this is only momentary. When your sugar level spikes, a sugar crash or hangover is sure to follow. You’ll be paying back with subsequent lethargy and fogginess which can bring your productivity down the drain for the entire day.
Drink water
Working too long and staying focused for long periods can make you forget to drink water. Dehydration can make you sluggish and underproductive.
A confident stance has been shown to influence your mental and emotional well-being. Strike a power pose and bring your swag on. Come on. Try one now!
Hug your dog
Studies show that pets boost productivity and improve one’s mood. If you need to relax, instead of checking your Twitter or FB feed, gossipping with your colleague, or watching funny Youtube videos, hug your pet instead (if your dog is not averse to it, that is).
SUCCESS ATTITUDE
Relax
If you’re too fired up about being optimal and productive, it will stress you out and have the opposite effect. Relax. Find your composure. Enjoy each task. You will get more done this way.
Albert Einstein is the poster child for curiosity. Research shows that curious people are happier. They also achieve more and succeed more.
Be grateful
Have a grateful heart for every small or big thing. Be grateful for your breath, for your work, for your clients, for your colleagues, for all your blessings, and for moments of happiness during the day. Watch this amazing video for the gift of gratefulness.
Be unrelenting; power through failure
Don’t let instances of failure faze you. All successful people powered through their huge and repeated failures. As Arnold Schwarzenegger says, “That’s what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they’ll go through the pain no matter what happens.”
Productive people are successful people. They get their work done, make sure all necessary tasks are tended to and leave no loose ends. If you are a blogger, however, these things can be very hard to achieve.
When you’re a blogger, you’re your own boss. You decide what gets done and when so productivity should always be a high priority for you.
To help you achieve that, we’ve compiled some of the best blogging tips that can help you do more with your time.
Make A Plan
Making a plan for when you’re going to write articles, post them on your blog and social media and respond to and send emails can keep you organized and on track. A plan can help you decide what you need to do for the day and limit the time you’ll have to wonder about your next task.
Delegate Small Tasks to Freelancers
You don’t have to do everything by yourself even if you are the sole owner and operator of your blog. Small things, like formatting photos, creating logos and crafting theme designs, can be done by others.
This will save you time as well as increase the quality of your blog. There are several freelancing options and platforms that can meet your budget and needs.
The bookmark bar is a very useful tool that you may not even be aware of. If you haven’t used it yet, it’s a tool which you can use to save websites that you may frequently visit or need to access later.
You can quickly save a website by holding the control key and then pressing the ‘D’ button. Since you’ll no longer have to manually type the website or search for it, you’ll be able to save a good amount of time.
Utilize Time-Saving Plugins
If you have your own blog website, then this will be very useful to you.
Plugins can do a variety of things. They are like apps for your website which can save you time and a lot of hard work.
For example, Akismet is a common plugin that eliminates spam comments so you don’t have to delete them manually. There are also plugins that preserve your format, font, and layout when you want to publish a post.
However, some plugins, like Write!, have .html export options already built in. This way, you can make use of Write!’s special features without having to use plugin space. Keep this in mind as this is one of the most important blogging tips you can find.
Be Passionate About Your Topic
Finding your passion can be a bit difficult but it can help you complete any task. Hopefully, you have chosen a topic for your blog that you are very passionate about.
Some areas of blogging are really exhausting and frustrating. They can easily make you want to give up.
In order to stay on track and be productive, you should try to find something about these tasks that you enjoy. Being passionate about what you’re doing will motivate you to do your best and be at your most productive.
Are you constantly being asked the same few questions over and over by your visitors?
If so, then you should really consider writing up a FAQ page where you can answer the most common questions from your fans. It’s a more convenient approach since you won’t have to repeatedly answer the same questions.
It may seem like a tiny thing, but those minutes you’ll use answering their questions can easily add up. It’s time you could be spending writing, posting and marketing your blog.
Eliminate Unnecessary Distractions
This tip isn’t specific for blog productivity but can also be used for any task that requires focus.
If you want an easy, sure-fire way to increase your productivity, then get rid of all of the distractions in your blogging environment. This includes signing out of social media, turning your phone to silent, separating yourself from people that will distract you, and suppressing anything that may draw your focus from your current task.
Music may help you focus or draw your focus from your work. This will depend on your preference and what you’re working on.
It’s safe to say that no one likes workplace confrontation.
However, avoiding these kinds of interactions at work is practically impossible. Whether you are leading a team, a company or just your own task list, there will be times where you’ll need to face difficult conversations at work.
Fortunately, there are ways to soften the blow and make these types of conversations much less painful. Follow these guidelines for a more positive experience next time you have a less-than-pleasant conversation in the modern workplace.
Don’t Wait
If you have a car, it’s better if you can constantly maintain it. Get it checked regularly so that if any problems do arise, it can be easily fixed.
Unfortunately, most people just wait until something big happens. That’s the only time they’ll start thinking about repair. This approach can mean bigger costs and, in some cases, irreparable damage.
The same can be said with your employees and coworkers. Don’t wait until a big problem occurs. Have weekly or monthly check-ups with them so you know what’s going on.
If you see any problem, fix it immediately. Don’t wait until it becomes a bad habit.
Prepare
Before you sit down with someone who may be having an issue, make sure to prepare beforehand. This means gathering information that will be relevant to the conversation.
For instance, if an employee is constantly late to work, make sure they understand the attendance policy. The more information you have, the better. You don’t want to go into a meeting unprepared for the conversation.
Don’t Talk Down
It is extremely important that you don’t talk down to your employee. If you belittle or say hurtful things, nothing will get better and the relationship between the two of you will deteriorate.
The end goal of every meeting should be to come to a mutual understanding and hopefully solve any problems that have arisen. If either party feels like they aren’t valued, nothing will be accomplished.
When dealing with these tough conversations, it’s hard not to let emotions get involved. However, when emotions are on the table, all objectiveness goes right out the window.
Don’t let your perception of an employee skew how you see him. This can be hard, especially if you have a good personal relationship with him. To remain objective, make sure to address the issue head on, come to a conclusion and move on.
Exercise Confidentiality
If an employee comes to you with an issue, respect his privacy. If a specific issue only concerns one employee, leave it in the room where it was discussed. The last thing you want is workplace gossip spreading around.
Offer Suggestions
Presenting the issue objectively is important but don’t leave it there. Make sure you also offer help and suggestions to the struggling employee.
This is much more helpful than just listing reasons why someone isn’t performing well. Offer your help and mentorship if you need to or be a leader and look after your team. Take the initiative to provide your valuable insight and help those around change and achieve their goals.
No one said having difficult conversations at work would be easy. In fact, they can be some of the hardest things you’ll ever do in your career.
Despite this, try and understand the importance of addressing issues and coming up with solutions. If you follow these suggestions, your next difficult meeting will go much more smoothly.
Believe it or not, your zodiac sign can reveal a lot about your personality and temperament. It can show your hidden desires and secret thoughts that drive your behaviors every day. And it’s not just your sign. In fact, each of the twelve signs in the zodiac chart has its own unique characteristics, both positive and negative qualities.
If you are curious to know, here is what astrology can say about the most hidden desires of each zodiac sign.
Aries
Hidden Desire:To be a leader and achieve big things in life
Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and one of the most determined signs. Aries people are born leaders who dream big and strive to put an example in front of others. They are independent, enthusiastic and extremely driven people.
People with this sign usually have huge goals in life and are willing to give their 100% to achieve them. They desire to be leaders, and their kind nature and optimism make them great role models.
Taurus
Hidden desire:Safety and security in all areas of life
Taureans crave safety and security in all areas of their life, including home, love, and money. These people are extremely loyal and dependable, but they are not very confident and they prefer to follow instead of lead.
Taureans are cautious, stubborn and good with finances. Due to their stubborn nature, if they have set their mind to something, they will make sure to achieve it- no matter what.
Gemini
Hidden desire:Variety and new experiences
Gemini is a communicative sign which has a thirst for knowledge and information. These people desire variety, new experiences and learning new things.
Geminis are curious, talkative, clever and adventurous people who can easily fit into any situation. They are independent, energetic and restless.
One of their biggest desires is to feed their inner wanderlust with traveling and new experiences. They like to learn through experiences, discovery, and inquiry.
Cancer
Hidden Desire:To feel emotionally, financially and romantically-free
Cancer is the fourth sign of the zodiac chart and one of the most fiercely independent signs. Cancerians hate to be tied down, even though they are very loyal and dedicated.
Those born under this sign are very shy, insecure and sensitive. However, once they overcome their shyness, there’s nothing they can’t achieve.
Cancerians are also highly intuitive and prefer to use these powers to achieve their goals. Their secret desire is to be free and unrestrained.
Leo
Hidden desire:Respect and praise from others
Leo’s hidden desire is to be praised, admired and respected constantly. People born under this sign desire absolute power, authority, and praise for their achievements.
Leos are born leaders. They are ambitious and confident individuals who have big aims and will work hard to achieve them. They’re very generous, kind and caring, but they also like to have things under their control. Their biggest desire is to achieve recognition for their accomplishments and they’ll find it insulting if they’re not.
Virgo
Hidden desire:To love and be loved
Virgos are reliable and loyal people who are filled with love. Even though they can be cold and calculating, Virgos crave love and are passionate about falling in love and finding someone to pour their affection on.
Virgos can be fussy about small details, but they are very intelligent and have great analytical skills. They use their skills to logically solve their problems and navigate their way out of difficult situations.
Libra
Hidden Desire:Balance, clarity, and justice
Libra is a sign that desires balance, harmony, and clarity in life. Libras are content only when everything is at a perfect equilibrium. They are peace-loving individuals who want justice and absolute order.
Libras try to avoid conflicts in their lives as much as they can. They can be really indecisive at times so they usually don’t embark on big projects that require a lot of time and hard work.
Scorpio
Hidden desire:To make it to the top
Scorpios are extremely determined individuals who will never back down from a challenge. Their biggest desire is to make it to the top and beat all odds, proving everyone who has ever doubted them wrong.
Scorpios are very ambitious and want to succeed where others have failed. They are passionate and won’t rest until they achieve all of their goals. In trying to achieve their goals, they can become jealous and a bit too obsessed with success.
Sagittarius
Hidden desire:To make a change in the world
People born under the sign of Sagittarius are innovators and builders who are not afraid to branch out and try new things. Their desire is to make real innovations and a difference in the world which can change many people’s lives.
Sagittarians are imaginative, creative and hard working people who prefer to work alone in order to maintain their independence. These people are introverts and prefer a small group of people. However, they are kind and loyal friends and great at solving problems.
Capricorn
Hidden desire:To be admired by their family and friends
Capricorns have a desire for admiration and praise for their achievements from their family, friends, and co-workers. They are responsible, loyal and trustworthy, but they crave respect and affection from their families and friends.
They are great leaders and good friends who are always there when you need them. When they don’t receive the admiration and affirmation they crave so much, they can become moody and difficult to deal with.
Aquarius
Hidden desire:To stand out from the crowd
Aquarians have a strong desire to stand out from the crowd and they desire recognition. People born under this sign are smart, witty and inventive individuals full of original ideas.
Aquarians are great humanitarians who want to help people in need. They can be emotionally detached and lost at times which can make them insensitive to the people around them.
These people are rebels who don’t like following directions and will never settle for anything less than what they think they deserve. They know their worth and they desire acknowledgment. Their humor and wittiness make them excellent leaders.
Pisces
Hidden desire:To turn their wildest dreams into reality
Pisceans are daydreamers who desire to turn their craziest fantasies and dreams into reality. Those born under this star sign are imaginative, compassionate and ultra sensitive. They are great friends and even better problem solvers who are always thinking outside the box.
Pisceans like to dream to the point that they become lazy. These people do not want to be in the lead; they prefer to follow and take directions. Their biggest desire is to see the world as they see it in their dreams.
Growing up, you might have probably heard tons of health myths already. Avoiding the pool when you just ate lunch and sleeping while your hair is still wet are just some of them. These claims seem so real that even though there aren’t enough studies to back them up, we still continue to believe them.
To help set the record straight on the most popular health myths and facts, we’ve done the hard work of doing the research for you. Read on.
False. While it’s true that more people get sick during the winter, it isn’t just because of the cold weather. Viruses, for example, spread more easily when the air is dry.
This happens for two reasons. For one, microorganisms from a sneeze or cough are slowed down by water droplets in the air. The longer they are suspended, the more they are likely to be inhaled by another person.
Another reason for frequent colds in the winter is how close people are to each other. When they are cold, people tend to stick closer to each other for warmth.
False. This is an idea a lot of parents actually believe in. In reality, however, studies have found no evidence linking hyperactivity in kids to sugar consumption.
Kids may seem to act more boisterous while eating treats, but the reason is more closely linked with psychology than biology. Children consider sweets as rewards which make them excited.
Just imagine getting half a dozen kindergartners together for a birthday party complete with cake and ice cream, the fun meter will surely be off the chart. Parents can easily lose patience and would put all the blame in those sweet treats.
False. This isn’t to say that eating your lunch on a toilet is perfectly fine. When it comes to bacterial buildup, the flushing handle, soap dispensers and door handles in your bathroom have probably more bad microorganisms than your toilet seat.
Most harmful bacteria quickly wither after making contact with dry bathroom’s surfaces. If you’re a toilet texter, try keeping your phone in your pocket until you’ve washed your hands.
False. Speaking of cell phones, we’ve all read articles about how deadly they can be. The truth is, cell phones and microwave ovens do emit low energy or non-ionizing, electromagnetic radiation, but the levels are not high enough to be a health risk.
Currently, there is no known link between non-ionizing EMR and brain tumors. If there was, with nearly 4 billion people using mobile devices and Wi-Fi, we would have seen the number of brain tumor patients to have skyrocketed over the last 2 decades.
False. The popularity of this statement makes it all the more surprising that it’s false. Fortunately, the gruesome noise isn’t actually made by bones snapping together or even arthritis. Theories suggest that it’s the popping of tiny bubbles trapped in fluids.
Some believe knuckle cracking may actually be good for people. So as long as it doesn’t hurt you, snap-crackle-pop away.
False. Once you recover from a cold, your antibodies make it almost impossible to be infected again by the same rhinovirus. In that case, there’s no need to change your toothbrush or chapstick to stay healthy.
However, be sure not to share your toothbrush with anyone else. This is to prevent the spread of other infectious and communicable diseases that are far more serious than a cold.
False. The term “organic” is associated with pesticide-free foods that are as safe as those grown in your own backyard. This is far from the truth, though, because certain pesticides are still allowed in the farming of organic produce.
These so-called “organic pesticides” aren’t much safer than their synthetic counterparts as they’ve also been linked to serious health problems.
False. This statement has sent shivers down the spines of many chocoholics for decades. It’s hard to even know where this myth came from, but it was most likely rooted in the dietary concerns of parents over their teens eating too much pizza and candy.
Acne actually occurs when our skin secretes too much sebum. It mixes with dirt and oils that can clog your pores. Chocolate lovers can rejoice over the busting of this myth.
True. Knowing the difference between health myths and facts can sometimes be confusing and intimidating, especially if they turn out to be true. Just look at tobacco and lung cancer.
Although more research needs to be done to determine the exact link between talc and ovarian cancer, there is already a strong correlation between the two. Until there’s a strong evidence that can prove otherwise, don’t put your health at risk and avoid using products with talc.
At one point, these were all real concerns that science eventually debunked. Many of them were born from our fear of death, disease and vulnerability.
Knowing that we can’t protect ourselves from everything makes us more susceptible to believing false statements. Before you actually believe in anything you read online or hear from your friends, make sure you do your homework first.
Being familiar with health myths and facts shouldn’t be that hard, especially with how advanced today’s technology is.
It is particularly challenging during the initial stages.
I like to compare it to the drowsiness and uncomfortable sensations a patient experiences right after having a surgery. The only difference is that the physical pain has a fairly predictable healing time, whereas emotional pain does not.
The recovery time for the brokenhearted completely depends on how much effort they are willing to put into healing themselves. Unlike what some people believe, time does not heal all wounds. Instead, conscious self-care does.
The reaction towards a painful loss depends on a person’s inner strength and psychology. It ranges between taking time off to go on a spiritual retreat to something as extreme as committing suicide.
Clearly one has to be very careful and gentle with himself as he recovers. I know how fragile one can feel during that time as I have endured a painful loss, too.
Yet, I have found that if we can overcome the immediate maelstrom of emotions, we can later learn a great deal from our experience and use that wisdom to improve both our lives and the lives of others.
The biggest lesson a broken heart taught me was that no matter how intense a relationship is, I had to learn to love from a place of healthy detachment so that if anything goes wrong, I will stay strong and not let my life fall apart. This kind of objectivity creates more balance and harmony in relationships.
In addition to that, I also learned that taking care of my individual needs is paramount if I wanted to have a healthy intimate relationship. I have to make time to meet my own personal needs and avoid placing that responsibility on the person I’m with.
I have to admit that it did take some time for me to have this breakthrough. It only came to me after taking the time to process my feelings and engaging in long periods of introspection. No book or workshop in the world could have taught me these lessons as effectively as my experiences did.
If you are someone who is still in the midst of recovery from a painful break, I can assure you that with a consistent self-care regime, you will gradually feel better.
Here are a few tips I would like to share with you to help you get started:
Be gentle with yourself
Much like a patient after a surgery, you need to understand that your emotional state is delicate and you will require time to heal. Get the support that you need from friends and loved ones and be gentle with yourself.
Honor your feelings
Getting over a break up shouldn’t numb you. Don’t resist your feelings because that will only make them stronger. Instead, you need to find healthy ways to process them, such as journaling or speaking to someone you trust.
You can talk to your friends, family members, a counselor or coach. Work on forgiveness for both yourself and your ex-partner, and walk away with a feeling of acceptance and inner peace.
Understand the lessons
Once you feel stable and objective enough to see things from a neutral and grounded perspective, you’ll be able to understand the lessons the process came with. Ask yourself: “What did I learn about myself and my relationships after going through this?” and “What can I do differently next time?”
Getting over a break up isn’t entirely a negative experience. It can come with positive lessons, too.
After processing your feelings and the lessons, you need to do whatever it takes to get your life back on track. You have made great efforts to overcome this bump in your life and the time has come for you to make plans to move forward.
On the other end of the tunnel, you will be filled with gratitude and trust that every experience that you go through will help you become a wiser, more loving and giving individual.
Home remedies were once considered to be a normal way to treat illnesses and injuries. Since doctors and hospitals weren’t always available back then, people had to find a way to get better without them.
But as time went by, it became taboo to continue using home remedies. Prescription medications, invasive tests, and surgeries replaced plant medicine and natural remedies.
Instead of getting healthier, though, many people found that these supposed modern medical treatments were making them feel worse. This goes particularly true with all the dangerous side effects they were causing. Because of that, people are starting to show interest in home remedies again.
To give you a clearer idea, here are some of the most common misconceptions about home remedies.
Naturopathic Remedies Don’t Work
There are no government agencies that regulate naturopathic medicine. Unfortunately, this means that some of the products that are sold for home remedy use aren’t always reliable.
One study suggested that a good portion of them only had a small amount of the main active ingredient that they were supposed to contain. This idea worried consumers who started to believe all naturopathic products must have the same quality- but don’t.
There are a lot of trustworthy companies who do regular testing to ensure that the products they sell consistently reflect their claims. Just make sure you use a buyer’s guide or research the company before purchasing something from them. Once you find a brand you trust, stick with it until you learn more about other trusted brands in the market.
Naturopathic Remedies Aren’t Safe
Each person has a unique biochemistry. Some people will be more sensitive to certain naturopathic products because they have an underlying allergy.
For example, skullcap is very safe to take for migraine headaches and anxiety, but it won’t work for anyone who has an allergy to the ragweed family of plants.
So, it isn’t fair to say that skullcap supplements shouldn’t be used by anyone at all. Generalizations, like that, can reduce the number of people who will try a naturopathic remedy because they’ll think that none of them are safe to use.
By taking the time to learn more about the science behind a particular home remedy, a person can choose the ones that are right for his individual health needs and conditions.
Only Quacks Use Naturopathic Remedies
Some folks use home remedies secretly because they fear the scornful looks of their friends and family members.
You really needn’t worry.
Millions of people all over the world use naturopathic products of some sort. And they don’t necessarily look the kind who wear aluminum pyramids strapped to their heads to counter-effect air pollution.
They are health-conscious consumers with a wide variety of backgrounds that completely defeat this stereotype.
You Can’t Use Naturopathic Remedies with Prescription Medications
Many prescription drugs work better when used with a home remedy. For instance, a person who is suffering from a tooth infection can swish with a salt water solution while taking antibiotics to clear up the infection faster.
They can use apple cider vinegar, too. Neither of them can interfere with any other medication.
However, it would be foolish to say that there aren’t cases of this occurring though. Many remedies block the absorption of important medications, so be cautious when using them together.
There is a new movement in modern medicine which encourages patients to use other natural remedies instead of depending solely on prescription medications. One good example is pain management.
Doctors are considered responsible for the high amount of people who got addicted to prescription painkillers. So, they are suggesting that patients try other options first to ease their pain.
They recommend soaking in a tub of hot water and Epsom salt, applying topical capsaicin creams, or adding turmeric to their diet. Other fields of medicine encourage naturopathic remedies too.
The Cancer Treatment Center of America (CTCA) treats some of their patients with a combination of modern medicine and naturopathic remedies. And the Mayo Clinic is one of the best sources on naturopathic remedies.
As you can see, misinformation is one of the reasons why there’s a lot of wrong ideas about natural remedies. In reality, however, a lot of home remedies are very safe and effective to use on a regular basis.
It is still important that those who take prescription medications talk to their doctor first to make sure that the remedies won’t interfere or block the absorption of their other medicines. Many doctors are open to the use of naturopathic remedies, and they would rather openly discuss their use with their patients.
Remember, to avoid all or any of these misconceptions, conduct your own research and communicate promptly with your doctor.
However, other locations do not have weather that allows you to take your workout outside. If this is your concern, try incorporating a good treadmill workout to your routine.
High-intensity interval training, better known as HIIT, has been around for a while as an effective workout. You can take advantage of this training, along with treadmill sprints, to get the body you’ve always wanted.
The Science Behind HIIT Training
HIIT works by increasing the use of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are normally used in anaerobic workouts. Take, for example. sprinting and the bursts of speed in football.
Slow-twitch fibers use steady-state cardio. They generally help you through endurance activities, such as long-distance running or cross-country skiing. Low-twitch fibers use less fuel and energy than fast-twitch fibers. They recover at a different rate during workouts or sports.
By engaging fast-twitch fibers, you increase the number of calories you burn both during and after the workout. This is called the after-burn effect and refers to post-workout oxygen consumption.
Treadmill training provides several advantages over walking outdoors, including the following:
Aerobic fitness – Treadmill exercise boosts your cardiovascular fitness, lowers your blood pressure and provides a great workout for your heart. It can also lower your cholesterol, which can further reduce your risk for a stroke or heart attack.
A lower risk of disease – Treadmill workouts can also keep the following diseases at bay:
Breast and colon cancer
Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Insomnia
Depression
Arthritis and
More.
Convenience – A treadmill provides convenience so that you don’t have to battle the elements. You don’t need to worry about how you look, air quality or safety. It can even let you multitask, like listening to an audio book or even binge-watching your favorite cable show while you’re doing treadmill sprints.
Manage your weight – You will burn calories and fat by increasing your overall metabolism even as you rest. Some of the best treadmills in the market provide a calorie counter so that you can easily see how many calories you burn during the workout.
In addition, the calorie counter will help you monitor exactly how hard you are working. For example, you can see if you are cutting down your workout time while burning the same number of calories.
Improve joint flexibility – For baby boomers, joint flexibility helps reduce pain, especially if you suffer from arthritis. In addition, the padding on the treadmill lessens the impact on your body, including your hips, knees, and ankles.
It places less stress on your joints which, in turn, minimizes the risk of injuries.
Muscle tone and strength – Treadmill walking tones and strengthens your musculoskeletal system, such as your bones, joints, and muscles. Walking also reduces the risk of bone loss associated with age.
Walking provides a strong start for treadmill workouts. Additional lifting defines and sculpts your body.
If you want to up your treadmill game and improve your mobility, you can add additional aerobic exercise. Treadmill sprinting offers a great option to increase your heart rate so that your body is in top performance mode.
However, many people use the wrong technique when working out on a treadmill. They jump on the treadmill, increase the speed and possibly the incline, run at full speed for 20 to 60 seconds, and then slow down.
They repeat the process several times until they finish their workout. However, continually adjusting the speed and incline level of the treadmill can be a pain.
“Hop on, hop off” allows you to jump right into treadmill sprinting at a comfortable stride designed to target lower body strength, especially your hamstrings. You won’t have to worry about fluctuating treadmill speeds that might affect your training.
Instead, you can focus on your form as you run, improving your aerobic capacity. You don’t have to adjust your workout pace according to the treadmill variations.
Just be sure to warm up before reaching your peak speed. Hold onto the rails for safety and adjust the incline as needed.
Make each workout slightly harder by increasing the incline, speed and/or the number of sprints, even by one. You will be able to see these minor improvements with each session.
If you can instill the why of treadmill workouts and then implement the correct methods and the how-to’s into your workout, you will develop the fast, lean and strong body that you want.
You’ve made the decision to start a new venture. You’re excited, motivated and strongly fueled by your passion. You’re feeling positive about your future and this path you’ve laid out for your success.
You shared your new found journey with a loved one, who immediately started pointing out all the reasons why this is risky and why you shouldn’t do it. Suddenly, you started questioning yourself. Before you knew it, you’ve come to a complete stop.
How can you stop this from happening?
Your loved one’s concerns are, of course, coming from a good place. This person only wants what’s best for you. This, however, is your journey and decision. You feel excited and motivated about it for a reason.
To ignore your passion and life path is one of the worst things you can do to your happiness and success in life. Although your loved ones mean well, do not allow them to derail you.
Everyone has his own mental model. When we push ourselves towards a new path, we are essentially building a new self-image. Unconsciously, however, when we interact with those people who know us well, we tend to ignore the new self-image we’re building and conform to how others perceive us.
This is detrimental to your future and path to success.
You’ve got to find your own truth. If you want to do something different, then you’ve already allowed the space to create your new goals, attitudes, and associations. They are real to you.
In sharing your new goals, it’s important to have a conversation with your loved ones. Explain to them why you need to undergo the process and why it’s inevitable. Ask them to please not invalidate your decision and let it play out.
Some may struggle not to give out their opinions but just let them wash over you and don’t take it on board. Take a stand for your own journey, and if they’re meant to witness it, they’ll be there.
There are two ways to view life: the big and little picture.
Pointing out all the possible ways a particular venture could go wrong is the little picture. The big picture is not fully understanding how you’re going to get to the end goal, but knowing you have to do it anyway because the thought of it excites you more than anything.
There’s a lesson in every step of your road. Your first step may not be the right step but you can always learn something from it. Ask your loved ones to allow you to absorb it all and correct yourself in case of failure. No one else can do this for you.
If you always take on everyone’s doubts and opinions, soon there will be no space in your mind for changes and new goals.
Following your dreams and learning the lessons of the process are parts of the game. I absolutely believe that if you choose a path that invigorates and excites you, it’s going to lead you to your greatness.
However, if you’re looking at some specific thing in front of you, and are relying on that thing to make you happy and successful, then that’s looking through a little picture lens.
I highly encourage you to think about the big picture and treat life like it’s an opportunity to produce better outcomes and goals. Your biggest win is the person you become after the process.
If you have some little picture people around you, have those hard conversations and stand up for your own journey. Explain that, for you, this is something big and they should be there for you to see where it all leads. Some experiences will be positive while others will be negative. All of these are parts of the process. Stand up for your success and enjoy the ride.
Sig Nordal 