Bubble wrap – a vessel that carries delicate items from one point to another. A saving grace in the packing world. A toy to some, a piece of scientific equipment to others.

What is it about bubble wrap that appeals to us so much?

Discover what makes popping bubble wrap so therapeutic, as well as some not-so-typical uses for the inexpensive packing phenomenon.

Humble beginnings: Sealed Air

In 1951, two engineers, Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes, sought to create a wallpaper that would provide greenhouse insulation. Their solution was two shower curtains bonded together, which created pockets of trapped air that could be used as heat traps.

Despite a major lack of interest, the Sealed Air Company launched in 1960. A few years later, just prior to the launch of IBM, Frederick Bowers, a friend to Fielding and Chavannes, inquired about protecting his delicate computer components. The need for Sealed Air became clear, thanks to the development of IBM Computers.

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

The surprising uses of Bubble Wrap

In addition to serving as a calming sensory object, bubble wrap is one of the cheapest, most popular packing protection methods in the world. Because air bubbles absorb shock better than any other material, this makes bubble wrap highly desirable for packing breakable and delicate components like computers, television, and more.

Science has even found applications for bubble wrap. In underdeveloped countries, scientists are using bubble wrap as test tubes.

According to Scientists at Harvard University, bubble wrap is easy to come by, particularly in a science lab. Fluids like blood and urine have been easily injected into the packing material and transported for testing making bubble wrap ideal for labs in poor countries.

Scientists also discovered that the air inside the bubbles was completely sterile, opening the doors of opportunity to labs in poor countries to test their water supply amongst other things.

See Also: 5 Playfully Crazy Tips That Can Unleash Your Creative Potential and Boost Your Creativity

Why popping Bubble Wrap is so soothing

The Inquiring Minds at New York Magazine discussed a study done in the 1990s done by Western New England College. The study, published in the Psychological Reports journal, quoted a 1970’s tome that discussed the calming powers of touch.

In ancient times in countries like Greece and Asia, people carried smooth stones they would rub to calm themselves. These “worry beads” or “fingering pieces” gave people something to do with their hands during stressful situations, proving that keeping your hands busy is a great method of relaxation. This would explain why popping bubble wrap is so soothing.

Popping bubble wrap not only helps take the mind off of a stressful situation, but it has also been proven to release muscle tension. Part of the draw is compulsion — that instinct to be destructive.

Max Beerbohm was quoted as stating “To destroy is still the strongest instinct in nature.” Popping bubble wrap is a safe, harmless way of destroying something, appealing to the most basic of human instincts.

Bubble wrap, deemed useless in the early 1950’s, is now one of the cheapest, most therapeutic tools available to mankind. Its reputation in the packing industry, as well as it’s capabilities amongst the sciences make it one of the most versatile materials on the planet. Only time will tell what the next bubble wrap phenomenon will be.

 

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Trying to achieve your goals without organization is similar to getting into an automobile without a steering wheel and expecting to reach your desired destination. Unfortunately, too many people do not embrace organization and the many benefits that it can bring. Instead, they rely upon chance and luck.

To be truly able to maximize your potential and accomplish all that you can, organization is a necessity. Organizing your life requires that you adopt a process that you embrace in every facet of your day and adhering to it to create habits that will encourage order.

This organizational process includes analysis, allotment and action. These three A’s can help you to structure your activities and increase your production through increased efficiency.

The First A: Analysis

Before you can truly become organized, you first have to understand what you have to do, and what must be done in order to do it. This requires that you devise categories for your responsibilities such as work, school and home.

Part of a successful organizational plan is applying it universally to everything that you do. Structuring a part of your life and leaving the rest a chaotic jumble will not enable you to maximize your potential.

So, begin your list by writing down everything that you must do on a daily, monthly and yearly basis. While it may seem counterintuitive to look at something that you only have to do once a year, such as your tax return, this will pay dividends by making the task easier and decreasing the amount of time that you have to spend doing it.

Breaking a task into a series of smaller actions that are completed as they occur, such as storing financial documents and receipts in a designated file, is the key to efficiently completing large projects. By doing so, you will save time when it is necessary to compile all of this information. Instead of first having to locate all of the necessary materials, they will be waiting for you.

As you write your list, it is helpful to think about how you might be able to be able to accomplish several tasks at once. For example, combining a trip to the grocery store with your daily commute, or using time spent waiting for a meeting to start to answer emails.

The analysis portion of organization is primarily about all of the things that you must do, and seeing how these tasks might be combined into a single action, rather than separate ones.

See Also: The Dos And Don’ts Of Planning Your Day

The Second A: Allotment

Allotment is the process of determining how much time to devote to each activity and when you will do it. This allows a “big picture” approach that enables you to decide how important each task is.

This way, you avoid spending too much time on the “little picture” activities, and concentrate your efforts on crucial actions. Answering every email instantly, for example, can waste a large portion of your day.

It is also important to allow yourself scheduled breaks. Noone is a machine, and we all need some down time. Allot periods of time throughout the day to review your social media, read and to recharge your batteries.

Your time allotment needs to be realistic. If you schedule fifteen minute blocks of time for projects that require an hour, you will not be able to finish what you have started and your plan will not help you to accomplish anything.

Using your analysis, determine what needs to be done and how long it will take. Be realistic about deciding how much time to allow for your various tasks.

See Also: Top 5 Time Management Hacks To Get You Ahead

The Third A: Action

Action may be the most important of the three As. Even the best plan is worthless if it is not put into motion.

That is why it is important to get into the habit of following your plans and learning to say “no” when others make requests of you for nonessential items. Staying committed to your organizational plan needs to be your top priority. With time, it will become second nature.

Action also requires that you get into the habit of writing lists, either hard copy or digital, to help to keep track of details and tasks that need to be accomplished in the short term. Decide what format you are most comfortable with and begin to make a list at the beginning of each day.

Mark off tasks as you complete them, to mark your progress and enjoy the sense of satisfaction that comes from being efficient and productive.

Organizational formats, storage and other tools are invaluable in accomplishing your goals. If your closet is cluttered, look for storage systems that will help you to keep it clean. If you have a difficult time keeping track of documents, incorporate a new filing system.

There are vast resources available to help. It is up to you to find them and take advantage of what you need.

As well, get in the habit of diminishing clutter by recycling or giving away things that you do not need or use. This can be clothes, magazines or even office documents that have lost their purpose, if they ever had one to begin with.

By working to devise a plan to organize your life, you increase your efficiency by spending more time on the things that are most important. Applying this strategy to every area of your life will help you find more time to spend on the activities that you enjoy as well as helping you to accomplish more. By using the three As you will be able to realize these benefits and reap the rewards of an organized life.

The post Failure to Plan is Planning to Fail appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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We’re always being told that home replacement windows are a wise decision especially when retiring any window older than 10 years for a new Energy Star-rated window. Anyone would expect a window salesman to tell us that, but we didn’t invite the window pitchman into the conversation.

Ok, we know mom would say, “Did you run out of glass cleaner?” and then go to the kitchen to make refreshments whether anyone wanted a snack or not.

If the windows were the topic of conversation with the other three guests, what would they say?

The home economist has taken a moment to compliment you on not having multiple copies of the same electronic devices (not 2, just 1 flat screen display; not 2, just 1 play station; etc.). But when it comes to the 14-year-old windows, she begins interrogating you about your energy bills and the single glazed aluminum double hung foggy panes she’s having to try to look through to see the front yard.

She gives her best over the glasses lecture about the certainty that home utility bills can significantly impact the household budget for good or for bad. She wastes no time lining out the costs of the electricity bill in the average American home:

• 44% HVAC systems (heating and cooling)
• 33% Lighting and other appliances
• 14% Water heating
• 9% Refrigeration (refrigerator and freezer)

“Replacing a set of 5 single glazed windows with Energy Star-rated insulated window replacements will reduce a 2,000 square foot home utility bill by 18%,“ she smugly states as she reaches for the lemon zinger cookies your mother set out for the curious guests. (Of course, you know that the average American 2,000 square foot home expends a minimum between $1,400 and $2,000 for utilities annually).

See Also: 15 Budget Worthy Smart Home Improvements

That prompts the environmentalist to chime. “You know that each American home produces more harm for the environment than their gas guzzling vehicles do, right?”

The HVAC systems have to work harder when home windows are like slotted spoons letting outside air through crevices and cracks, instead of having sealed casement frames to keep the conditioned air inside. Overworked HVAC systems leak refrigerants that damage the environment and contribute to global warming.

This is not even mentioning the increased load to produce the energy, send it through overworked channels and deliver it through weakened grids to every household in your neighborhood and throughout the United States. Does rolling brownouts or direct blackouts mean anything to anyone?

He doesn’t stop there. The older windows can be recycled for their glass and framing materials while the newer windows are constructed from cast off materials already manufactured and redesigned. The additional foam insulation and batted insulation along with putty, caulk and paint all can come from recycled materials and landfills can be used less and less.

As the environmentalists reaches for his third cookie (but who’s counting), the Allergist coughs and wheezes to accentuate her remarks. “There is no barrier to the allergens, pollutants, and insects that gain entry through these loose and cracked window frames. If I had an aromatic incense stick, I could show you the smoke trail conning behind as the wind comes seeping by the panes” (if you’re not from Oklahoma you may not know their state song lyrics, but the lady was trying to be funny).

Over 50 million Americans suffer from airborne allergens and the most common indoor/outdoor triggers are cat, dog and rodent dander; cockroach and dust mite allergens; mold spores; grass, tree, and weed pollen according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation (AAF).

The University of Iowa Department of Environmental Health study found that traditional room side blinds collected indoor airborne allergens 200 times more than between-the-glass window shades.

The air quality is further hampered due to the moisture collecting from condensation differences between the moist air on the inside and the dryer air on the outside. Some folks even over-compensate with humidifiers in the home to offset the warmer dryer air of the summer months and to their own peril introduce more damage to their health.

With a sharp cough, she’s done.

What a home visit!

Here’s what we know will be of importance to all your guests:

Replacement windows will pay for themselves within five years of installation. Any homeowner can calculate within a few dollars the actual savings for their specific home even before they purchase replacement windows.

Interestingly, there are free programs like RESFEN that allow users to identify and pick the most energy-efficient and cost-effective window.

A homeowner or builder can describe his climate, the specific square footage of the entire home or just a specific room, the heating and air conditioning system being used, and utility usage. It even gets so precise as to include the window dimension, the orientation as to which point on the compass the window faces, and any environmental factors such as shade trees or vegetation affecting the window site.

Once the homeowner adds in the specifics of the window replacement, such as U-factor or light transfer ratio (easily provided by the manufacturer), an accurate annual heating and cooling cost is calculated allowing for seasonal spikes unique to the homeowner’s geo-tract neighborhood.

Energy Star replacement windows may provide you with a state or federal tax credit and you can know with just a quick little call to 1-800-TAX-FORM or your state tax people. In many cases the credit is 10% of the purchase price and in some cases includes the labor costs.

The value of the home is increased by 5 to 7% on average with the windows upgraded to Energy Star standards. When up for sale, new buyers look for every angle of perpetual savings they can find.

See Also: 5 Practical Home Improvements To Sell A House

Imagine being able to provide a print out of low utility costs for a house your size! Even if you don’t move, the enjoyment of savings is still yours.

So, once the guests leave and mom has taken to using the glass cleaner on those windows of yours, it’s time to contact a home window replacement professional in your area to provide you an official quote for home window replacement installation just for you.

Who invited all those people over, anyway? Mom, if you’re still here, where are those lemon zingers?

The post What Would a Home Economist, an Environmentalist, an Allergist, and Your Mother Say About Your Home Windows? appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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How much pain are you willing to endure to move forward and make progress?

How much pain are you willing to go through to accomplish something?

And how much pain are you willing to deal with to come out on top?

The brutal truth is, most of us will do whatever it takes to avoid pain. I know I have.

Out of all the things in life that people avoid, pain is high on the list. Why? Because we’d rather life be easy and comforting, not hurtful and painful.

But I’m here to tell you that pain is necessary to help you progress. And it’s the basis of all accomplishments, achievements and successes, no matter how big or small.

Here’s why that is…

1. Pain makes you wiser

Getting into a deep relationship only to find out your partner has cheated on you.

Being in a job for X amount of years only to lose it to redundancy.

Having a successful, profitable business only to lose it due to unfortunate circumstances. Then having to pay off all the debt.

All the the 3 examples above are painful experiences but in return these experiences make you wiser. You have to go through the pain of loss, betrayal, and bad decisions to end up being wiser than you was.

If you play it safe and do your best to avoid pain, not only will it hurt more when you experience it, you’ll have a harder time getting over it. But If you see pain as a tool to make you wiser, you’ll have an easier time dealing and getting over it. It’s all about perspective.

2. Pain can make you a stronger person

Being comfortable and taking the easy route doesn’t make you stronger, pain does. The pain of setbacks, struggles, mishaps and being down and out makes you stronger. And the more you overcome these obstacles, the stronger you become.

Just take a look at those who have experienced physical/sexual abuse in their childhood. Yet, they still manage to come out on top and become winners in the game of life.

Take a look at Oprah Winfrey’s upbringing for example. She was molested by her own family members when she was just 9 years old.

The abuse continued for another 2 – 3 years before she ran away from home. Now look where she is!

She’s a powerful example of someone who’s become stronger, inside and out, as a result of pain.

If pain should do anything, it should make you stronger. It’s a necessity to progress one way or another.

3. Pain can be a good motivator

We’ve all made painful mistakes, painful choices, and painful decisions. But instead of letting it break you and hinder you, let it motivate you.

Instead of backing up and going into your shell, stand up and tell yourself “I’m better than this” and let your pain push you.

What’s happened has happened, and there’s nothing you can do to reverse it. Focus on what you can do, and what you can do is use it as fuel to motivate you.

4. Pain can push you into action

When I was made redundant for the first time for no fault of my own, I didn’t let it stop me.

I used the pain of that experience to push me into action and make drastic changes in my life.

Instead of wallowing in anger and upset, I used that as fuel to push me into action. And nowadays I’m way more action orientated than I ever was before.

Don’t let pain push you backwards, let it push you into action so you can move forward. Forward is the only direction you should be headed in.

See Also: How to Appreciate the Pain of Financial Problems

5. Pain pushes you to make changes

After dealing with a painful experiences, all sorts of thoughts and emotions are swirling through your body. And one of the common thoughts is – “something needs to change”.

Experiencing it once is enough to want to make the change. And even if it doesn’t push you into change the first time, it will eventually. When something needs to change in our lives we’re more driven, motivated, focused and determined than ever before.

This goes back to the time I was made redundant. I was more adamant than ever to make real changes in my life, and I didn’t hesitate to do so.

6. Pain can be inspirational

Back to Oprah, when you read stories like that you can’t help but be inspired and motivated by it. It’s inspirational to the core.

And that’s why stories like Oprah’s never grow old or go out of fashion so to speak. Reading about someone who’s gone through traumatic, hurtful, brutal experiences and then seeing that they’ve overcome them is special.

See Also: A Ballerina’s Story: How I Learned To Love My Body After Years Of Hating It

Sometimes it isn’t me or you who has to go through a painful experience that pushes us to make progress. Sometimes reading stories that are born out of painful experiences are enough to give us that push we need!

Pain can be inspirational.

Got something to add to this post? Speak your mind and leave a comment.

The post Why Pain Is Necessary To Help You Progress appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Do you want to know how to plan a project that will get actually get things done?

Improvisation is great for comedy, but getting a project done on time and within budget is no laughing matter. If you want to accomplish something, you have to set a course of action that ends with the successful completion of that project.

There are 12 steps that you need to take to plan a project, and most take place before you even begin the work on your project. Project planning takes work! If you don’t do the due diligence and proper preparation to start your next project off right, then you’ve already put a huge obstacle on your path.

Let’s get down to how to plan a project.

1. Know What Needs to Be Done

This sounds so obvious as to be silly to point out, but it’s usually the most overlooked step in project planning. You can’t accomplish a project if you don’t know what steps are required.

The scope of a project can change over time, but start by defining your goals and the general tasks that need to be done to accomplish those goals. This will keep you on target and not veering off on time-wasting tangents.

2. Who Are the Key Decision Makers?

You need to know where the buck stops, so to speak. Who are the important decision-makers, and the one who initiated the project? Do you know for sure what they want from the project?

You need to communicate with all relevant parties at the outset of your project to get their input so you can set your project up for success.

3. Set Up a Team

You know what you want to accomplish in the project, and now you have to figure out which people are able to help you complete all your tasks. Be sure you’ve defined key roles and identified people for every step of your project before you even start.

4. What’s Your Timeline?

It’s important to define a timeline at the very beginning of any project otherwise you have literally infinite amounts of time to complete it. Rarely is that the case in reality. Most of us have deadlines, and even if we don’t, we can’t afford to pay people indefinitely for their services.

Define a clear deadline based on the tasks you outlined and the people you’ve assembled. Get them to estimate how long they think their part of the work will take. If you can’t finish the project in the time you have scheduled, then you’re going to need to go back and reevaluate your resources and other items to ensure your project will be done on time.

5. Create Milestones

You’ve got your goals, your task lists and your team’s estimates. Now which of those tasks, when completed, might mark a major milestone in the overall project? Are there different phases of your project, like construction starting or QA or launch parties, that could be considered major milestones?

Mark these dates on a calendar or in project management software so you can always keep the big picture into focus and track progress over time.

6. Break Down Major Tasks

Look at those milestones and your starting task list and see if any of those tasks can be broken down into smaller steps. The reason is you want to make sure you’ve defined all the relevant steps in order to control the production of your project, and you haven’t overlooked anything. These tasks can then be assigned to your team.

7. Create a Schedule

Congratulations, you’re finally at a point in the planning when you can actually draft a schedule!

This is the first time you’re going to try and coordinate all the various pieces of the planning puzzle you’ve been working on. This is when you take all your tasks and assign to people with clear due dates.

Remember, as plans move along, things will change. That’s okay. The goal of a schedule is to help you and your team stay focused on delivering each task.

See Also: 10 Strategies for Solving Workplace Problems with a Culture of Creativity 

8. Track Your Progress

You can’t make a plan and set it in concrete. The refinement process is never really over until the project is complete. But you can’t refine what you can’t see, so it’s crucial to monitor the progress of the plan. There are several ways to do this.

If you use project management software, you can track the plan in real time with your team. Or there are project templates you can download and use to plug in your plan. These help you compare where you are in the project against where you thought you’d be at this time in the project, according to your plan.

See Also: How to Focus Your Mind on the Project

9. Always Be Documenting

The only way to keep up with the constant change that always occurs in the process of production is by having clear and steady documentation of that process. This saves you from making mistakes based on miscommunication or misunderstandings, and it helps you document anything that might go wrong.

Keep track of emails and purchases, and ideally use one platform for project communications so you have only one source to reference, instead of emails and texts and spreadsheets all scattered around.

10. Communicate Progress & Successes

This is important for you, your team and your stakeholders. By keeping everyone on the same page, you insure that everyone is working together and not against one another, and you help remind people that you appreciate their input and help.

By taking the time to plan in detail, you do a great service to yourself, your team and your project. For one thing, you reduce the headaches you’ll have to deal with as project leader. You’ll also make it easier for your team to do their job. And stakeholders will feel more secure knowing that you’ve got a plan that you’re sharing so they can stay abreast of the project in real time. That’s a plan everyone can get behind.

The post 12 Ways A Project Plan That Will Get Things Done appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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You spend the majority of your waking hours at work than at home or anywhere else. So considering how much time we spend at work, it’s still a wonder why some people continue to avoid making friends at work.

They think that making friends might cut down or intercept their workflow. Some people have the ideology to keep their professional and personal lives completely separate.

While that’s certainly well and good, people have started to blur these boundaries to such an extent that they think that fraternizing with their colleagues is no short of uselessness. Many fear gossip and inside politics.

No one is telling you to start opening up and sharing your personal life with someone before you develop a deep trust. Below are a few points which will tell you exactly what I mean and regard the benefits of having friends at work.

Happy Working Life

Aristotle stated, “Man is by nature a social animal.” He further goes on to elaborate that society precedes an individual. So anyone who does not partake of society or leads a common life is either a beast or a god.

This states the importance of a human needing to socialize to get by and stay sane. So when you have friends at the workplace, your work won’t feel like work or a set of tasks you need to get done and out of the way.

See Also: 12 Proven Ways to Make Friends at Work (Without Emptying Your Wallet)

Increase in Morale and Productivity

No one likes to wake up early in the morning and head to work. In the case of a night shift, you dread having to spend all the lonely night hours alone at the office with nothing but work to look forward to.

Having friends at work will actually make you look forward to work and the day will not seem so dry. It will increase your motivation and productivity.

With your heart in your work, you’re more than likely to produce better quality in your work. That’s otherwise hard to achieve, what with everyone trying to cram in more into their schedules than is humanly possible and employers being hard to satisfy.

Personal Development Support

When you have friends at work, you benefit from 137% more personal development support! You have the added opportunity to do what you do best every day.

Many people have their support system built in at home with their families and friends outside of work. But do you really want to talk more about work after you spend more than 8 hours at your office?

Also, regardless of the support your parents or other friends can give you, they don’t really understand your job as well as someone going through the same thing. They can very well comprehend what you’re going through, the toughness of your schedule, and also who and what you’re dealing with.

Fondness for Your Company

Having someone to discuss your weekend with (or any other detail in or out of the workplace), can make getting up for work whole a lot easier. Higher commitment to quality work has been observed and raised by more than 35%.

You’ll find yourself caring more about the progress of your company as well. The passion for your job can ensure that you put in your best, and having friends at work is a big motivation factor to stay and give it your best.

Higher Paying Job Won’t Feel as Appealing

58% men and 74% women said that they would refuse a higher paying job if it meant that they will not get along well with their co-workers. That goes to show that more than half the people stated that they value a place with a friendly environment.

They feel this way because work feels more like home and no one minds staying late as much. Lunch breaks can also be more enjoyable and fun and you’ll certainly be able to go back to work feeling more positive and refreshed.

See Also: The ABC of an Epic Friendship: 26 Simple Ways To Be the Best Friend Ever

Having been through all kinds of working environments, I can honestly say that I feel more motivated at work when I’m around people I like and enjoy talking to. It makes my job that much easier.

The post 5 Benefits of Making Friends at Work appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Joining a gym is always a great idea. You can walk in at a time of your choice, have access to dozens of equipment to tone your muscles, get personal advice from professional trainers, sweat it out, and be inspired to go the distance from watching like-minded people workout alongside you.

A regular workout routine is a key part of staying fit and healthy. And when it comes to getting the best experience, carrying the right items makes a big difference. Whether you’re heading to a professional gym or your beloved personal garage gym, here is a list of gym accessories you could carry to enhance the whole experience.

1. Protein Shaker Bottle

You can’t gain an inch of muscle without taking sufficient proteins. Purchase a shaker bottle and load it with a muscle-enhancing protein drink before you head to the gym.

Just in case you got pepped up to last a quarter of an hour longer at the gym, your protein shake would be the one thing that you need to get the desired results from your workouts. When combined with the right supplements, protein shakes give your muscles what they exactly need to recover after a tiresome workout session.

Some popular shaker bottle brands used by gym bunnies include BlenderBottle, Cyclone Cup, and SmartShake.

2. Fitness tracking gadgets

Take your workout results to the next level by using fitness tracking gadgets to track your performance. From total number of calories burnt during workout to distance walked to your heart rate and even hours slept in the night, there are fitness gadgets that can keep track of what goes into every single physical activity of yours. Monitor your exercise performance in numbers and accordingly tailor your workouts for better results every time.

Check out the most popular fitness gadgets from leading brands like Fitbit, Jawbone, and Withings and choose the ones that perfectly fit your needs and budget.

3. Moisture Wicking Towel

Ah! Here’s one for your convenience (and for the convenience of people around you as well!).

Excess sweat when left to dry can stink like sh*t. And when it comes to the gym, no one likes to grip equipment wet with the sweat of other users.

Make sure you use towels to wipe off sweat on you and the machine. Use the breaks between workouts to wipe excess sweat and cool yourself down a bit.

Brands like Manduka, Bondi Band, and Discovery Trekking Outfitters offer quality moisture wicking towels for gym use.

See Also: 19 Ways to Get Motivated to Exercise

4. Workout Log

When it comes to getting the best out of your reps, it’s important that you dive deeper into your exercise schedule. Without keeping count of how much you’re lifting or how far you’re running, it’s very difficult to see the desired results.

Make sure you take printouts of workout logs available online and plan your workout schedule better. Or consult your personal gym trainer and prepare a list of workouts that are to exactly designed to suit your body so that you get the best experience and results.

Additionally, you can also download a list of fitness tracking apps that help you to record your workouts and see how you can progress in the right direction. The best tracking apps used by fitness freaks include the likes of FitNotes, Gym hero, and Strong.

5. Kinesiology Tape

Have you seen professional athletes use colorful tapes on their arms, shoulders, back, and knees and wondered what they are? Well, they are called Kinesiology tapes.

They are designed to give additional strength and support to athletes. This type of taping is used as a sort of rehabilitative technique to ensure natural healing of aching muscles and joints without putting any additional strain on the tissues.

See Also: 5 Simple Ways To Prevent Gym Injuries

Best of all, the tapes are waterproof so they won’t allow sweat to stick around while you’re working out. If you have injuries, don’t forget to use Kinesiology tapes.

The best Kinesiology tapes are manufactured by leading brands like Rock Tape, StrengthTape, and KT Tape.

Conclusion

There you go! These are the five essential gym accessories and items you need if you are looking to take your workout experience to the next level. Using these will help make your workouts more effective and productive.

Be smart, stay fit, and enjoy your workouts like never before!

I’d love to know if you have any other advice for enhancing the gym experience. Please comment them below. Thanks for reading!

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Are you a newlywed living in your first apartment? Or maybe you’re moving to a brand-new condominium along with the rest of your family? Perhaps you’re even a long-time renter who calls the landlord for any old problem.

Here’s the thing: whether you’re renting your first property or are on your third, you should know that safe condo and apartment living isn’t just the landlord’s responsibility. It is your duty to protect your family and possessions.

Here are some practical measures you can start doing for rental home security:

Identify and Secure Possible Access Points

First of all, check your home for possible entry points, the most obvious ones being the doors to the outside (or to the corridor, depending on your exact living situation). See if they’re sturdy and in good condition.

If they tend to get stuck or don’t close easily, it can be a problem. Inform the landlord of any broken locks so they could be fixed or  replaced.

Even if the locks aren’t broken, ask the landlord to replace them especially if the previous tenant was evicted and might still have a key. Do the same for locks on your windows and balcony doors.

Locks aren’t the only security mechanisms you have to consider. For each door, examine the strike plate (the metal plate that goes in the doorjamb) to make sure it’s sturdy and secure.

A good strike plate can reinforce the doorjamb in case someone tries to force their way in. Deadbolts, security chains, and peepholes are also good and simple features to consider but you may have to talk to your landlord before getting those installed.

Think twice before getting a safe

Many homeowners can get a safe to store their valuables in. A good safe is ideally one that is heavy; burglars and robbers usually want to take as much as they can and leave as quickly as they can.

An empty 1.2 cubic-foot safe can weigh 100 pounds, so it could be a good place to put valuables like jewelry, important documents, and electronics in. Owners can also bolt down safes for added protection.

However, getting a safe for your rental property may not be the best idea. If you’re on a short-term lease, moving a safe into your temporary home can be too troublesome.

Bedrooms in condos and apartments also have very limited space, and bolt-down safes may require installation that your landlord will not allow. If you’re renting a spacious property on a long-term lease and your landlord is easy to talk to, and you have very valuable items, consider getting one. Otherwise, you can maybe just get a small fire chest and keep it well hidden.

Opt for Video Surveillance

One advantage of condo-living is that many developers invest in CCTV cameras. These usually go in common areas like the lobby, elevators, and hallways. The cameras usually go to a live feed monitored by guards on duty, so even if they aren’t being recorded, unsavory individuals have to think twice before they do anything rash or dangerous.

But if you want better security, especially within your own living space, you’ll have to get CCTV cameras installed yourself. Even simple dome-type cameras can be installed with minimal disruption to the space’s original configuration.

Assuming you have a webcam set up in your home office, there’s software you can use to turn that into a security camera as well. And if you want even more discreet protection, you can get a nanny cam or other hidden cameras  in case someone robs your home while you’re away.

See Also: 15 Budget Worthy Smart Home Improvements

Consider Getting Wireless Alarms

Long-term leasing is often cheaper in the long run, but it also means you’ve got to invest more in keeping your property safe in cases of emergency. Even the safest locations can, over time, become unsafe.

In that case, just relying on locks and safes may not be enough. You need a way to actually scare and deter potential invaders, which is where alarms would come in handy.

In the past, getting alarm systems installed in a rental home was tricky because it could require fairly major rewiring of the property which landlords would hesitate to agree to. Now, because of wireless technology, tenants can buy easy-to-install wireless alarms that just run on batteries.

The variety of motion sensors and security alarms in the market is staggering, and you can find something to satisfy practically any security need. You can also consider getting personal panic buttons and whistles for members of the family in case of emergencies.

Optimize Visibility

Of course, cameras are no good if the areas they’re monitoring are too dark. You may see faulty light fixtures and switches as a minor inconvenience but in a crisis situation, dim lighting can be dangerous, so make sure all light bulbs are working. Talk to your landlord if you have to. In case the light switches are oddly placed (for example, the switch for the dining room light is located in the living room), getting that fixed will probably require a longer talk with your landlord.

It’s also a good idea to place flashlights and LED lights in strategic locations around the house (hidden behind a houseplant or in a vase, for example) so that you have backup light sources in case of a night invasion. You also want to make sure intruders don’t have many places to hide so the more furniture you can place right up against a wall instead of in the middle of a room, the better.

Don’t Invite Trouble

Robbers and thieves take a big risk in breaking the law, and they most likely won’t bother if they don’t see a big payoff. That means you shouldn’t do anything that would entice them to try stealing from you.

Keep windows closed at night and make sure that expensive but easy-to-steal items, such as jewelry and gadgets, are not left in plain sight. Some people also favor putting alarm systems and CCTVs where they can be easily seen so strangers with bad intentions wouldn’t even try to break in.

The same goes for your online social media habits. We all know that it’s ridiculous to post pictures of your credit card online, but when you announce on social media that you plan to go on a long vacation, that could have the same consequences.

In fact, in the UK, that could even be a basis for insurance companies to invalidate your home insurance plan. Of course, you’ll also have to inform your landlord if you’re leaving the property unattended and for how long. Depending on the terms of your contract, you may not be allowed to go out of town for too long.

Get to Know Your Neighbors

Of all the tips to secure your condo or rental property, this is probably the least obvious. Cultivating a good relationship with your neighbors is a great way to make friends and be sociable, but it’s also practical. Neighbors can be your best defense when it comes to protecting your property when you’re away.

Even if you’re not going away on vacation, it can be handy to routinely talk to your neighbors every evening. If for some reason, you break from that habit, they may become concerned and see if anything’s wrong. In case they see that your property’s been broken into, they can report it to security or the authorities, who can then come to the rescue.

See Also: Home Security: Try These 10 Ways to Make Your Home Safer – Without a Gun

Prepare to Call for Help

Sometimes, despite all your efforts to keep unwanted visitors out, they can still get in. That’s why some of the tips to protect your apartment or condo would involve getting help during an invasion.

While panic alarms are a good choice, they’re not the best when you’re dealing with armed individuals. In that case, you need stealthier ways to get other people’s attention.

Store important emergency numbers on your cellphone so that you can call the authorities quickly. If you’re cellphone’s out of reach, try going for your landline phone instead.

Having a list of emergency numbers next to each of your phones would be a good idea. You also need to check if your unit has an intercom so you can call the guards in the lobby for assistance.

Some of the best plans are based on expecting the worst. That also applies when you’re living in an apartment or condo for rent. While nobody wants to live their life in fear or with a negative outlook, the reality is that trouble will come sooner or later.

To have peace of mind, you need a good set of security systems. All it takes is for you to be proactive and collaborate with your landlord about what you can and cannot do to protect your property.

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Do you want some enterpreneur tips on how to keep motivated?

Being a new entrepreneur means indulging in risky gambles and having a lot of responsibilities. You fear the unknown and you wind up feeling lost. So what really keeps you going is the ongoing motivation for the achievement of your goals.

This makes one wonder that how do you stay motivated in a business?

You don’t have to be brave only in battle. It’s your job to find motivation within you and remember that you are in charge of your own life.

Lift yourself up with these motivational tips.

1. Limiting Decision-Making in Other Aspects

With so many decisions regarding your business on a daily basis, sometimes it’s best to keep things simple elsewhere.

A good way to make your abilities stay sharp is if you limit your decision making in the other aspects of your life throughout the rest of your day. It can keep you motivated because then you can focus on the other tough decisions you have to make regarding your business.

2. Having a Personal Mission Statement

Every business should have a proper and defined mission statement. A mission statement is something which describes your visions and goals, and values. Knowing where you should head towards helps to lead you in a proper direction. It’s imperative to have a pre-defined route.

Your mission statement should be a constant reminder of your need to success. You should memorize it and carry it around with you everywhere.

See Also: 5 Lesser-Known Must-Read Books For Entrepreneurs

3. Constructing a Plan

Your mission statement is obviously useless if you don’t put forth a plan to execute it. A personal and professional plan can contain short and long term goals. Don’t adhere to it as a golden rule, as plans are always subject to change according to your circumstances.

The main purpose to have a plan is to have a proper and clear understanding in what you hope to achieve, and how you’re going to go about doing that.

4. Remember to Reward Yourself

The human mind is wired to respond according to incentives. So what better to provide motivation in your work?

Set rewards for yourself if you establish a goal. To avoid burning out, you should identify and reward small victories along the way to your long-term goals.

Will Curran, President of Endless Entertainment said, “By fighting the small battles. I get joy in overcoming obstacles, and by celebrating after a small win. This includes rewarding myself for a job well done. You can get overwhelmed by focusing too much on the big picture.”

5. Get a Quarter of Your Work Done Soon after Waking Up

Studies have shown people have shown the most amount of productivity in the first hours after waking up. This is also when some of the top startups plan their day to ensure more success.

Get to work within an hour of waking up and you’ll soon see the differences in your performance and how much you’re able to accomplish before your coffee break as well.

6. Stay Stubborn in Your Desire

What makes a successful entrepreneur?

Some of the most successful people I know are those who refused to give up even when times were tough. They had perseverance and patience. One of the key things in keeping an entrepreneur motivated is their ambition and desires. The fuel they needed to achieve and flourish in their goals lay in their desires to be successful which prevented them from giving up after they failed.

It is indeed very challenging to hold on to your morale when you’re not quickly getting the success you hoped for. Surround yourself with people who motivate you. Remember, each hindrance you suffer is a lesson, not a disappointment.

According to Neil Patel, co-founder of Crazy Egg and KISSmetrics, “Running a business is like riding a roller coaster. Although it is fun and exciting, there will be times when you’ll be scared and feel powerless. During the bad times, there isn’t much you can do, other than to keep on pushing forward,”

7. Inspiration Comes From Your Peers

Like I said in the previous point, keeping close to people who motivate you can do wonders. You can talk to other entrepreneurs and small business owners and look at them for support and constant inspiration. You can look to each other for feedback. It also feels better to know that there are other people going through the same challenges.

It’s also good to read success stories and the challenges faced by the other entrepreneurs when they first set out. Listen to some famous TED Talks by entrepreneurs to drive home some motivation.

See Also: How To Pay Bills & Start A Business – 5 Entrepreneurs Share Their Secrets

8. Turn your competition the other way around

It’s natural to compare yourself with your competitors. By looking at their perfectly crafted business and success stories, use that as an inspiration to achieve more and be better instead of letting yourself down. It’s stupid to feel down just because someone you know is doing better than you.

Don’t let that negative energy affect you, as each person’s journey and endeavors are different. Staying positive and viewing your competition as a benchmark is much better as compared to putting yourself down and self-blaming.

Adam Martin, Founder of Laabn Social Haircare Inc. talks about looking for another enterpreneur in the same niche and then talk weekly or daily to discuss challenges, ideas, and achievements. This helps keep both this person and yourself accountable.

9. Work with Others

If you work alone, you may find it helpful to surround yourself with people on the same wavelength as you to cure that boredom and loneliness you might be feeling. Chances are high that you’ll find yourself encouraged in other aspects of life as well.

Juanita Hines, Owner of Regional Consulting talks about being around successful and inspirational people.

With all the good and bad times new business brings, remembering these tips while moving at your own particular pace will help you stay rational and positive. Always keep in mind what roused you to wind up as a business visionary, framing key connections along the way, and setting sensible objectives. It will no doubt all add to your developments and achievements.

The post 9 Tips For An Entrepreneur For Constant Motivation appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Shh. Do you hear that?

That voice in the back of your head. Do you hear it saying, “this is too hard”?

“Maybe I’m just not good enough.”

“I’ve been at this a while now, and I’m not any closer to my goal than when I started.”

That is the voice that will kill your dreams if you let it.

Let me let you in on a secret. You don’t have to feel like you’re “good enough” to make a huge change in your life and the life of those around you.

Before Walt founded Disney, he was fired from the Kansas Star. Why? He lacked creativity. After that, he founded Laugh-O-Gram Studio, which promptly went bankrupt. Not exactly what you’d call an entertainment expert, right? Yet he still managed to create one of the most successful companies in the world.

Do you want to know the difference between successful people and those who give up? You don’t have to take massive action. You don’t even have to feel like you’re good enough. All you have to do is take small, consistent steps in the right direction. Eventually, that will turn into momentum, and that momentum will carry you to your goals.

Here are two ways you can begin today.

Throw Away Your To Do List

We’ve all heard how important it is to create to do lists to accomplish our goals. What you may not have heard, however, is how counterproductive this can be.

Think about it.

You fill the list up with everything you need to do. As you complete things, you add more. At the end of the day, you look at the list and there are still 8 things left on it. How does that make you feel, knowing that you’ve worked all day and still have that many things left?

When this is all you have to measure your progress, all you ever get to see is how far away you are from your goal. This can be incredibly demotivating, even if you actually are making progress toward your goals.

What if instead of keeping this type of list, you kept a list of all of the progress you made towards your goals? Every evening, and any time you felt like giving up, you could take out your list of accomplishments.

Here’s how you can do that.

1. Take out a sheet of paper.
2. Write your list of high level goals down.
3. Every time you complete a task, write it down under its goal. For example, if you’re training for a 5k, and you finally manage to run for 3 minutes straight, that goes down under “Run a 5K” on your list of accomplishments.
4. Anything that would usually cross off of your to do list can go on this list of accomplishments.

This does two things for you.

First, it motivates you. Whenever you feel like you aren’t good enough, you can look at this list and see all of the stuff you’ve already accomplished.

Second, as you get more stuff on the list, you want to do bigger and bigger things so that you can put them on the list.

It’s an incredibly satisfying feeling. Try it out.

See Also: 8 Success Habits of Wealthy People That Cost Nothing

Stop Chasing Goals (and Do This Instead)

If you want to reach your goals, you need to stop chasing them. Your goals are not going to carry you to success. Your goals are not going to carry you through those times when you feel like a failure and lose motivation.

What you need is a system that would carry you through the high and low times, whether you’re motivated or not. What you need is a system.

Let’s say you want to be a successful blogger. Instead of making a list of everything you need to do to accomplish your goal of creating a successful blog, do this instead.

1. Every morning, write 200 words before you do anything else. Add 25 or 50 words to this goal every week.
2. Every afternoon, edit your work to improve the flow and make it sound better.

Do this every day, and you could write a 1,000 word post every week. You don’t need your goal to keep you motivated. You don’t need your motivation to keep you going. All you have to do is write 200 words every morning before you let yourself get out of bed.

If you were an active member on blogs that ask for guest posts, you wouldn’t even need to set up your own blog at first. All you would need to do is create your system and take small, consistent steps towards where you want to go.

The best part? A system like this will help you no matter what your goal is.

The One Thing You Need to Do

If you are constantly battling with that voice telling you you’re not good enough, there is one thing you need to do. Keep taking small, steady steps in the right direction.

See Also: 5 Inspiring People Who Started With Nothing and Changed the World

Don’t worry if you aren’t as successful as other people. Don’t worry if you’re not as far along as you’d like to be. Look at all the amazing stuff you’ve already accomplished, and keep taking action. Stop worrying that the beginning of your story isn’t as polished as the middle of someone else’s.

The results will come.

The post 2 Ways to Create Success Even When You’re Not “Good Enough” appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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