Every day we all go through stressful situations (or do we?). I suppose these situations wouldn't be so stressful if we knew a better way to deal with them. I feel that with self-awareness comes relaxation (usually) because we can tell ourselves the truth in an event that many people may be handling irrationally. We can separate ourselves from the rest and be the 'real' person in the situation. Here are 10 simple, easy things to remember so you can keep cool in any situation:

1. Analyze
Look around at what's going on. Do you have a handle on things? Is the chaos just perpetuating because of people's reactions or is there actually something seriously wrong? If there's something serious going down, chances are you should take it seriously; but if the situation is simply an exchange of stress venting between people, try and understand it.

2. Realize
Now that you've looked at the situation, it's a good idea to see the truth. Don't look at things while influenced by the stress of the people around you. See things from your own eyes, instead. If you can stay aware throughout the situation and do this, your experience will surely be enjoyable and stress free.

3. React
Well, now that you're the only down to earth person in the room, react accordingly! Be the helpful person who handles them self well. Not only will you be helping the situation resolve, you'll also be gaining the respect of everyone around you.

4. Help
Help solve the problem or correct the situation that you're in. Usually, there's something you can do to improve conditions for yourself and those around you. Just make sure you're not in the way of anything; or trying to put yourself in the middle of things as this will hint a bit of self-absorption.

5. Breathe
Just sit back and take a deep breath; it's that simple. If you can recognized that you're not relaxed and then try and make yourself relaxed, you're one step closer to having the calm advantage.

6. Laugh
Depending on the situation, humor always helps. I don't mean insecure, last minute witty jokes. Instead, I mean a joke with yourself or someone close to you about the situation. This will lighten things up a bit and possibly help someone else stay relaxed too.

7. Reflect
So, what really happened? After all is said and done, reflect on the situation. You'll gain a better understanding of what happened as well as a confidence that you can handle such situations again in the future.

8. Accept
Don't have any regrets. Make yourself content with whatever went on, as this promotes self-control and maturity. I mean, it's not worth continuing to worry about something that already happened, so don't bother putting yourself through that!

Remember these steps next time you're in any situation. You'll find that you'll enjoy yourself more and you'll be getting more respect from those around you. Share these tips with people, too, so they can relieve stress as well.
Have a good Monday~



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As time progresses, so does philosophy. By this, I mean the way people think. As people change their thinking, they also change other people's thinking. Now, all of these immensely complex philosophies are out there, and some of us don't know where to go! We're lost, and because of this overload of information, some people tend to think negatively. It's just a natural habit to do so, but it's much more enjoyable so take the other route: Optimism.


Some see the glass as half empty, but why? What sense does this make? Besides the fact that it's a bad habit in our modern world to think negatively, it's also something else. However, it takes an optimist to see this second view of things. What is this second view? It's on the top of the list:

1. There are a surprisingly small amount of optimists.
Sure, when you saw that last paragraph you thought to yourself "It is a bad habit in our modern world to think negatively!". A trained optimist, though, would say "This may be true in a sense, but this fact also provides this enlightened group of us with an advantage". That's the view of a true optimist, and a real productive person. Back to my original point; join the club! Optimism is a great value to adapt, and you'll laugh the next time you see stressed out people running around (although you should help).

2. Reverse thinking
After being positive for long enough, your thinking will reverse itself entirely (to a certain extent). No, you won't be writing backwards, but you will be rearranging words in your head. You'll find that any theoretically 'bad' thought that you have can easily be translated into a good though. This'll make you much happier, and it's a good brain exersise.

3. People will like you more
Everyone loves an optimist. Not everyone loves a happy go lucky person, however. Stay down to earth and be yourself. Theres no use in over exaggerating everything to the point of no return. Simple be an optimist, keep it real, and people will enjoy your company. You're doing yourself a favor by thinking and sharing your positive thoughts with the people around you, and you're also doing all of them an even bigger favor.

4. You'll like yourself more
As I said earlier, everyone loves an optimist. This includes yourself! Rewarding yourself with positive thoughts for having positive thoughts is a great way to live. The cycle just keeps on going once you get started.

5. Why not?
Is there any reason behind negativity? Really think about it, and you'll see that you can't come up with any reasons why not to be an optimist. It's a gift thats just waiting to be opened with not a single negative effect.

6. Enjoyment of life
You'll find yourself noticing the little things, appreciating them, and rationalizing the big things to make them easier to deal with. You'll be much happier, of course because you will not only appreciate everything around you, you'll see why you're appreciating it.

7. Money back guarantee
Not literally, but you'll get what I mean. If you want to try positive thinking for 'a 30 day risk-free trial', go right ahead! If you don't enjoy it, it's just as easy to go back to being a neutral or negative thinker. It's all about personal preference, but you should always try something new.

8. Self-teach
Optimism is something you can teach yourself. You don't need to go out and pay a trainer or a psychologist. You just need to try, and to work towards it. The great thing about positive thinking, is a little bit goes a long way.

So, my fellow aspiring optimists, I hope these tips get you thinking. Working on positive thinking is a lot of fun, and after a while you'll find even more benefits and enjoyment in your daily life.


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I've talked before about goal setting by means of visualization. I think visual perception plays a huge role in how your achievements and aspirations work out. If you can see it, you can achieve it. As I've grown and practiced different goal-setting plans and experimented with various strategies, I've realized that visualization is a fun, simple, and ongoing versatile way to achieve your goals. Here are 10 tips to help you visualize your goals, and ultimately accomplish them.

1. Find your medium
This may not make sense at first, so I'll clarify. By medium, I mean working artistic medium. You don't need to be artistic to visualize however. Being creative helps, but it's not a must. Most people can find a way to visualize that works for them. Some may make a drawing, other a goal setting outline, and some may just have the mental ability to see things vividly. To work on successfully visualizing goals, it's a good idea to find a way that works for you rather than reading about it and conforming to someone else's ideas (that's why I wrote this part).

2. Clear your mind
In order to have a mental vision of what you're trying to accomplish, it helps to have your mind clear of scattered thoughts. I find that if I want to have a good visualization, it's a great idea to do a simple meditation or breathing exercise before hand. I find that after 5-10 minutes of simple mediation I have almost an entirely relaxed mind; and I can visualize very clearly with few interrupting thoughts.

3. Plan your goals
I wrote about this a few weeks back. If you're planning on achieving any goals using any method, make sure you plan them! A good organized idea of your goals will help you to accurately visualize them as well as make them easier to achieve. Try keeping a log of your goals and keep it somewhere where you'll remember to work on it.

4. Narrate your visions
As you visualize, tell yourself what's going on. This is important because it secures these thoughts in your mind, allowing you to further pursue your goals without any mental difficulty or stress. Think of your goals as movies, and you're the epic, powerful voice responsible for your own understanding.

5. Relax; enjoy the ride.
Take gratitude in your future just as much as you are in the present. Look ahead at what you would like your life to be like, and visualize with the best of intentions. The goals that really matter are the ones that help your spiritual happiness when all is said and done. Also, make sure you're relaxed and happy doing whatever it is you're doing in the present! This is very important. Leo Babuta of ZenHabits had a great post a few days ago titled "17 Unbeatable Ways To Create a Peaceful, Relaxed Workday" Although it says this is for the work day, the concepts can really be adapted to any environment you're in.

I hope these few little tips help you work on visualizing your goals and ultimately achieving them! An important part of success is being able to plan it in many different ways, and visualization is a great addition to your collection of goal setting techniques.

We live in a society that is constantly moving and changing. Because of this, it's common to be stressed or tense. One of the best methods of relaxation and self awareness that has been practiced for thousands of years is the art of meditation. People meditate for many different reasons, but it doesn't need to be done as a spiritual or religious practice. You can make whatever you want of it. I tend to enjoy doing a simple breathing mediation to get relaxed. After 10-30 minutes of this meditation, I always feel great. I'm sure you will too. Here are the steps to this simple yet effective breathing exercise:


1. Sit
Find a place to sit down. Anywhere; as long as you can sit. This can be done standing, but it's so much more relaxing to be in a seated position.

2. Take a few deep breaths
Now that you're in your 'breathing position', take a few big deep breaths. This helps to set you up for the smaller breaths. I like to think of it as an initialization stage before you begin.

3. In one, out two
Count your breaths. I count in as one and out as two, in as three out as four, etc until I get to ten. The next two breaths after 10 are one and two again. See what I mean? You can experiment with different combinations and test yourself with various patterns. Not only does this stimulate the brain, it also helps you to take your mind off whatever may be causing stress.

4. Experiment
As I just mentioned, try different patterns of breathing. You can do sets of 10 until a certain number then go back to one. Personally, I breath to 10 and back once and do that 10 times as a set. You can work your way up to a complex pattern if you find it not too overwhelming.

5. Random-mode
After you've mastered counting breaths, try going into what I call 'random-mode'. Simply continue breathing, and recognize the spontaneous thoughts that pop into your head. Try not to dwell on them, just let them pass. Visualizing helps too (if you're into that). Try seeing the thoughts as pictures floating past you; you can't do anything but watch them go by. This helps to reinforce self-control as well as give you an enjoyable self-reflection period.

6. Discipline?
I don't really like the work discipline, but I'll use it anyways. The self-control benefits of this breathing almost outweigh the relaxation benefits. It's an awesome way to gain a higher level of consciousness. After meditating for a while, you'll find that you're more aware of what is going on around you. You'll most likely make better decisions, feel more positive, and have higher self-esteem.

7. Make a routine
Figure out when you can meditate on a regular basis, and plan it out.

I hope these tips can help you to relax and enjoy yourself when you meditate. Whether you're a beginner or a long-time sitter, it's never a bad idea to practice simple breathing exersises. Remember to experiment and find what works for you.
Enjoy!

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I love music; many people do. Some of the most awesome spiritual experiences I've ever had have been influenced by music. I listen to about 2-3 hours of music every day, and I'm constantly reading about music history and theory. This is because I'm interested and subsequently I discover great things to listen to by wanting to find them and putting the work into doing so. For the people who may not have the resources to find great music to put into their lives, this is a list of albums to get your mind and 'soul' going. I'm mostly including Indie and Rock titles. This is mainly because I listen to these genres the most and I have the most to offer in my suggestions for them.
Here they are, listed in no particular order:

1. Bob Dylan- Greatest Hits

Bob Dylan, one of the greatest singer-songwriters of our time, created a brilliant album with a few songs that have kept me inspired and philosophical through some tough times. Because this is a greatest hits album, it's fun to listen to the whole thing or shuffle it into your music collection.

2. Bob Marley and the Whalers- Legend

One of he classic original reggae albums, this has everything you need to stay in a good mood. The songs are uplifting, beautifully written, and easy to enjoy. A great one to listen to in the car or the office to keep you in a good mood.

3. Belle and Sebastian- If You're Feeling Sinister

In my opinion, one of the greatest indie/baroque pop albums of all time. This band created their music through some tough times, and from this they achieved an inspirational sounding album perfect for listening to anytime.

4. The Beach Boys- Pet Sounds (lots of B's in this list, eh?)

Pretty experimental, but the music is upbeat and enjoyable for easy listening.

5. The Arcade Fire- Funeral

An awesome album from one of my favorite indie bands; The Arcade Fire. You've most likely heard 'Rebellion' or 'Wake Up' before, and there are also some other great songs on there.

6. Cake- Fashion Nugget

A very fun album for working (some language not always safe for work) or relaxing. The songs are always busy, upbeat and exciting to listen to. CAKE has a very unique style, like a fusion of jazz, rock, hip-hop and indie. Even if you don't like one of those four genres, it balances itself out, don't worry.

7. The Doors- Doors

A brilliant classic rock album; you've most likely heard many of the songs on it if you've ever turned on a classic rock radio station or seen a movie.

So, those are my big seven. I'll have a larger list in the future, but in the mean time, take some time to review these and find songs you enjoy (if you want). It's always great discovering new music, and I've always found that it's much easier when other people give you recommendations. That being said, I hope you enjoy my list and have a great weekend!

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Being that it's the 21st century, most of us have computers. We use them for work, play, education, and basically anything else you can think of. Some people may use computers all of the time, while others will occasionally. Either way, it's important to keep both your real life desktop and your virtual desktop clean and organized. Many of us productivity bloggers have already gone over how to clean up your 'real life' desktop, so now I'm going to give you some tips on how to organize your computer's desktop.

We'll start with PC's. Personally, I'm not a big fan of PC's (sorry); I'm a total apple fanboy. However, the majority of people with computers have your typical pc (apple's catching up though, so watch out). I can' tell you how many times I've wanted to unplug a computer and drop it off of a large building due to the messy desktop. It's unbearable sometimes! If you're the type of person who keeps everything they have on their computer right on the desktop, continue reading.

So, for an overview of PC organization:
You have many different files stored already in your hard drive (desktop files included). There are applications, documents, code scripts, files, etc all written to your hard drive. Since these files are already in your computer, it's usually not the best thing to store so many on the desktop when you could create another simple, easy method of archiving. Instead, follow these simple steps (this works for macs too, but we'll get more into that later) to clean off your desktop and also free up some hard drive space:

1. Realize that it's messy
'The first step is admitting"
Really take a good look at your desktop. If you don't recognize a few files, and or you can't see your wallpaper, it's time to make a change.

2. Make a 'Trash' folder
For people who don't know what they need and what they don't, make a temporary trash folder and put everything you don't recognize in it. You can sort through this later.

3. Sort
So now that you're aware of the origin of everything on your desktop, figure out some categories. Make a few different folders on the desktop and name them after the corresponding category. Ideas:
Music/Movies
Documents
Games
Trash
Downloads
Work
School
Family
Misc
Put the files into whichever category you feel they belong. If they're lacking a home in a basic category, I'd say to make a misc. folder so you're not going to the trouble of making a folder and storing 1 or 2 items in it.

4. Archive
This one's important. It's no use making different folders if they're still going to clutter your desktop! Archive them like you would for files. Start with a main folder; I just like to call mine 'desktop'. Then, go from broad to specific. Maybe have a subfolder for your work, one for home, one for other people who may use the computer. Then, put the folders you catgorized earlier into the sub folders accordingly. After doing it a few times you'll gain some experience and be able to go with your personal preference on where you know you like to put things.

So, PC users, you should now be finished and have a desktop clear of junk. If you have a Mac (god bless you) you can also put some of these tips to practice. However, I'll add in a few tips so you don't need to have anything on your desktop by using the dock. Basically, do the same thing with archived folders and drag it into the dock. If you have leopard, searching your archives will be simple and efficient. Even if you haven't yet upgraded, don't worry about it; it's still easy to navigate through folders in your dock.

I hope these tips helped. Remember to go with your personal preference and find the best desktop organizing plan that works for you. I've seen some creative, effective ideas so far. If you have any tips for desktop-cleaning feel free to post a comment. It'd be great to read some other ideas.


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Regardless of what you may think, becoming an early-bird is beneficial to your time management and enjoyment of life. If you can get up a bit earlier, you have an advantage over your day. You can prepare for your day, relax and feel great once you begin your day. Here are 20 reasons to become an early riser:

1. Time
As I mentioned in the above paragraph, it's much better to be able to prepare for a big day ahead in the morning. By the time your day starts, you will have everything ready to go so you can focus on enjoying the rest of the day. I like to give myself 10 minutes to wake up a bit in bed, then get up early and prepare for the day.

2. Relaxation
Continuing from #1, when you have preparation time in the morning, it helps to relieve stress. If you wake up late and instantly have to start thinking about what you have to get done and how much time you have, chances are it's going to dull down your day. A result of becoming an early-bird will be a more relaxed, positive attitude.

3. Luxury
The old saying that goes "Time is money!" can be used as an example for this. If you have more time to put into starting your day, that translates into a more valuable living experience. By this, I mean that if you take some time to enjoy what you're doing rather than rushing, the result will be more of a luxury. For example;
Person X- You get up at 8:30, work starts at 9. You rush out the door, grab an oatmeal bar, and stress yourself out early.
Person Y- You get up at 6, work starts at 9. You cozily wake up and take a nice warm shower. You put some extra time into what clothes you're going to wear and your hygiene. You go to the kitchen and cook yourself some awesome scrambled eggs. You've got some time to watch TV, check your email, and get some leftover work done.

I think now you get the point.

4. Temptation
If you're up till 12, chances are you're getting pretty tired. When we are tired, we tend not to think as carefully as when we're rejuvenated. Because of this, we may indulge in having a midnight snack, watching more TV or staying up even later. These are bad habits to develop, and an early-riser doesn't have to worry about them! Instead, an early-bird will go to bed at 9 or 10 and turn that nightly wasteful time into morning productive enjoyable time.

5. Enjoyment
I can tell you from personal experience that it feels AWESOME to get up early. By the time everyone else gets going, you feel like you have a great advantage over the world and you can take on anything. It's one of the most productive attitudes a person can have, and if you decide to become an early-riser you'll feel it right away.

6. Health
There are some health benefits to becoming an early riser as well. Being able to take the time to prepare some healthy tasty food will help you out in the long run. Also, morning exercise can be very enjoyable as well as healthy. It's a good idea to take a half an hour of your morning and go for a walk or jog as the sun is coming up. Not only is it a great enlightening experience, it will also make you feel better throughout your entire day.

So, I hope by now I may have convinced you to become an early riser. I'm working on doing so myself, after reading about and experiencing the great benefits. It's important to get a good head start to your day, and people who do so have a productive advantage over rushed sleepers.

Remember:
"The early bird gets the worm"
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In this world of ours; especially in the 21st century, it's important to have knowledge. We build our own personal database of knowledge as we grow. People who can utilize certain skills to help them obtain information have a great advantage. Focusing is one of these skills, and holds strong value in many different aspects of life. Here are 20 qualities of focused people:


1. Calm
People who have found outlets to relax themselves focus better. It goes without saying that if you have a clear mind, you can pay attention and organize your thoughts more effectively than someone who has stress and scattered information strewn about in their brain. To achieve a calm lifestyle, it's good to practice meditation and breathing activities. These slow down your heart rate as well as brain oxygen consumption to provide you with a comfortable feeling.

2. Healthy
This also ties into having a relaxed mind. When someone is healthy and well, they are almost guaranteed to do anything better than someone who isn't feeling good. Focused people eat right and exercise well. They also care about their well being. If you just do those things automatically that's still good, but it is important to want to be healthy, and to realize the pros and cons of what you do. These analytical skills are important in being able to manage information intake and stay focused.

3. Aware
Most focused people have a clear view of what's going on. They see what is really there, and look at things with awareness. This not only stimulates the mind and provides an enjoyable interest, it also helps to organize thoughts and stay focused. That's another important tip; to stay focused. It's no good being focused for a little while and then losing your ability. You need to prolong your positive habits to stay sharp.

5. Organized
Focused people are organized materialistically as well as mentally. They have found a balance between these two types of organization, and have used the skil to benefit themselves as well as the people around them. An organized person is certainly more likely to succeed, in my opinion. I think this is because of the ability to sort out thoughts, things and concepts, and make sense of them. This allows for a more enjoyable, productive lifestyle. Organization is a great brain exercise, and focused people use it regularly.

6. Witty
We all have 'that friend'. By this, I mean that one guy/girl that you know is going to be able to make a brilliant joke up of anything you say. Well, in moderation, wit is a common trait of an attentive person. It involves quick thinking, a well-organized mind, and genuine creativity.

7. Analytical
Focused people have this one down. The ability to take in information and analyze it while continuing to take in more information is a very valuable quality. To be able to then store it away to an easily accessible filing cabinet in your brain is a very beneficial skill.

9. Observant
Focused people are aware of their surroundings and they notice the smaller things. They see these 'things', but they don't allow themselves to be carried away or distracted by them. Instead they make it a mind activity to stay focused on whatever they are beginning to be distracted from. An important skill needed to be a focused person is the ability to catch yourself. If you can stay aware and tell yourself to stay focused, it's like having your own personal guide there to help you.

10. Positive
A focused person doesn't worry about the little things. They don't have to; they make the most of any situation. When someone has an attitude full of optimism and positivity, they can keep space in their mind for other important things (like what they're supposed to be working on).


When we look at someone who's good at retaining information, organizing and holding all of these other skills, we realize that focus is really a combination of many different valuable attributes. The ability to pay attention and understand what is being conveyed is an important building block in gaining knowledge. Try and adapt these qualities to your own lifestyle, and allow yourself to be a sharp, focused individual.

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Eating right is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. In order to be productive, happy and strong, it's a good idea to maintain beneficial eating habits. There are many foods that help your body in various ways. Here's a list of 20 foods and drinks to keep you going healthily, productively and successfully all throughout the day.

1. Green Tea
Rich with anti-oxidants and low on caffeine, green tea is a healthy, tasty and classy alternative to black tea or coffee.

2. Eggs
Eggs are a great tasting low cost source of good protein and are only 68 calories each.

3. Apples
Apples are loaded with antioxidants to keep you healthy and feeling refreshed.

4. Oatmeal
A great breakfast option to give you the rich energy and fiber of whole grains.

5. Nuts
Almonds and walnuts are great sources of Omega 3 and Phenylalanine. Omega 3 is a type of fatty acid important in the optimal function of the brain, and Phenylalanine stimulates the brain.

6. Whole wheat and grain foods
Most wholegrain foods are a good source of vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 provides maximum energy and blood flow to your brain, and helps with memory. Try replacing enriched cereals and breads with the wholegrain versions.

7. Raisins
Raisins are rich with antioxidants and are a great source of energy to keep you going throughout the day.

8. Tuna
Tuna has been proven to be one of the best all around foods; mostly because of how good it is for the brain. It will help you focus, relieve stress, and assist in preventing heart disease.

9. Honey
Add some honey to your tea for an extra boost of the immune system to help protect you from getting colds and other viruses.

10. Carrots
Most of us use a screen to do our work, which means it's a good thing for out eyesight to be in great shape. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which improves eyesight.

11. Turkey
Turkey is a great idea for dinner. It's a great source of protein and gives your body more energy (after it's drowsy effects wear off). The reason why turkey makes you tired is because it contains tryptophan.

12. Chocolate
Dark chocolate especially will give you powerful antioxidants, provides you with numerous vitamins, and helps protect from heart disease. A little piece every day or two is a good idea.

13. Bananas
Bananas include two important minerals; magnesium and potassium. Magnesium will help lower your stress and tension levels, while potassium helps to keep your fluids in balance and maintain a healthy brain. It's a great idea to slice up a banana and add it to your cereal or oatmeal.

14. Water
In my opinion, water is the only thing anyone should drink (most of the time). It helps protect your body from sickness, it benefits your brain, and has no negative aspects to it. Try and always keep a bottle of water next to you while you're working or hanging out. It's a important to drink at least a few pints of water each day.

In order to stay productive, happy and healthy a good diet is a must. Try and include the foods I listed in your daily eating plan. They will provide you with energy, get your brain going, and help protect you from getting sick.

Happy eating!


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As you sit reading this, you may be looking around at piles of papers, various headphone wires, pencils and usb cables strewn around your desk. An important part of living a healthy life is being organized, and a good place to start is your desk. At one point, I had such a messy desk that I couldn't even use it for it's real purpose; to work on. You want your desk to be a workstation, or a leisure station rather than a storage place for junk. Following these steps can help you to clean and maintain your desk so you can use it properly.


A good place to start is to simply get up and look around at your surroundings. You'll come to one of two conclusions; it's either a total mess, or it's clean. I prefer not to add in the middle ground 'it's how I like it' because some people naturally don't mind messy living quarters. This, however, doesn't make an unorganized desk any more helpful.

After assessing the damage done, find what you like about your desk. Realize how much potential space you have. Cleaning this desk can be the changing point in the organization of your life. From doing this, you'll start to be able to see how you can work on cleaning it up.

Now, once you have an idea about how you're going to start organizing, go right ahead and begin! Use these 5 rules in organizing your desk:

1. Convenience
Don't just throw things away or push them under your bed; work on sorting them out and deciding what you really want. Remember, organizing is not only to make things look better. It's also meant to give you easier access to your belongings and a sense of pride in your surroundings.

2. Sorting
Sort out your pens, pencils, money, papers, cds, etc. If you can, go out and buy some nice-looking organizers from an office store. I use these for sorting pencils and old papers to archive away. They give your desk a nice look, and provide you with even more space in your drawers.

3. Storage
Decide where you want to store things. Make two separate piles; one for stowing away and one for easy access. Either archive or throw away what you want to stow away and use your desk drawers for the easy access. I like to have one drawer for each subject (being that I keep study material for school). You can also keep one group of things in each drawer. In my old desk, I had paper in one, CDs, DVDs and software in another, and my hobby equipment in my biggest drawer.

4. Selection
Now, tell me: Is that pack of dried glue sticks you've had since 2nd grade really worth keeping? Don't be too lenient with what you keep and what you throw away! You'd be surprised how most of the unimportant things you keep around your desk you won't need to use more than a few times a year. Throw away whatever doesn't really mean a lot to you.

5. Personal preference
Ask yourself how you want organizing your desk to affect your daily life. Do you want it to be convenient, good looking, effective for work or a combination of these?

Now that you've done the clean out, you're almost done. I say almost because organizing once isn't going to do you any good if you don't keep up with it! Remind yourself how good it feels to have a nice clean desk next time you put something on it. Decide the best way to keep your surroundings clean, convenient, and helpful. I suggest to make it a part of your week where you organize your desk. After a few weeks, it will become second nature and you will feel so much better that you have successfully organized your working space.

Enjoy your organizing!

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For certain people, creativity comes naturally. For others, it takes time to get the creative juices flowing. Everyone comes up with their own methods for creative success, but sometimes they're just missing that one key thought to get the ball rolling. Here are 6 things to keep in mind for when you're on a creativity-block, or if you just want to have fun thinking of cool ideas.

1. Work on something you enjoy doing.
If you can put positive thoughts into your head while engaging in an activity that you personally enjoy, do just that! Nothing is better for the creative mind than positivity.

2. Write
I usually emphasize on writing to help in any situation because it really does help. You can free associate, work on a fiction story, poetry, a blog, or any other form of writing that you enjoy. The great thing about writing is it acts as a vigorous machine for producing ideas. Think of your mind as a huge churn, with all of these thoughts flowing around. When you write, you start mixing that churn and turning those thoughts into ideas. As those ideas come out on the paper, more ingredients can be added into the churn to continue producing ideas. If you start writing, you'll be able to keep going for as long as you want. Doing so, you will come across numerous creative ideas that you can implement into your life.

3. Read
If you're having trouble producing organized thoughts of your own, why not read someone else's organized thoughts? I've found that reading a book, magazine, blog or other internet publication is a great way to spark ideas. The great thing about the mind is that one concept leads to another, and it keeps on going! I've had plenty of conversations like that; where we start at one topic and end up at a totally different one.

4. Rest
If you're not in a creative mood, the best thing to do is to get some good rest. I've noticed that when I'm rejuvenated after a good night's sleep, I tend to have much better ideas (not to mention my mind functions faster).

5. Socialize
When you can put a group of semi-creative people together (even if they're lacking ideas), you naturally create a mega-machine of idea-producing awesomeness (too much? I think not). Even just talking with someone can spark an idea in your head that leads to the brilliance behind your next big project.

So, remember these small steps whenever you're short on ideas. They're easy, efficient and effective. If one of these doesn't generate an awesome idea, another certainly will. Creativity is so great because it's an infinite source of value. We can create something from nothing with one resource: our mind.

“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.” -Charles Mingus

So, you want to become a productive person? The first step is learning from other productive people how to do so. Here's a list I've developed of qualities I've seen in people who know how to get things done:

1. Organized
A productive person has their environment organized and neat. No one can get far getting work done in a messy working space.

2. Employed
Commonly, productive people become this way by following the schedule of employment. It's a good example of a fixed, organized plan.

3. Intelligent
It can take some smarts to get things done effectively and efficiently. Productive people have an idea of what to do and how to do it in most situations.

4. Tech-smart
These days, productivity almost always combines with technology. The smart 'producers' if you will, find a middle ground in incorporating technology into their lives to increase productivity.

5. Appreciative
Productive people work hard, and they appreciate reward for their work. They see work as value, and themselves as valuable.

6. Risk-taking
Sometimes, these people are required to make tough decisions and be risky, but they do so with confidence.

7. Mindful
Productive people are aware of what they are doing at all times. They don't do anything subconsciously or 'robotically'; they do it because they want to get it done.

8. Good team-mate
A productive person knows how to treat other people in order to get things done.

9. Good loser
When things aren't going to well, a productive person handles the situation maturely.

10. Good winner
Productive people don't brag or boast, instead they use a positive situation to make themselves better and learn from it.

11. Healthy-eater
To be able to get up early, go to bed late, and get the job done, a productive person must be healthy and well-rested.

12. Willing to learn
Productive people value knowledge, and are always excited to learn new things.

13. Willing to teach
They are willing to share their knowledge and tips with you to help make more productive people.

14. Creative
Productive people have the ideas to make things work.

15. Well-adapted
A productive person is comfortable with their environment, and knows how to use it to get things done accordingly.

16. Skilled
Productive people are commonly 'jacks of all trades' who have enough knowledge in many different subjects to be successful at a variety of different things.

17. Extrovert
A productive person is social and outgoing, allowing for the enjoyment of others.

18. Independent
Is able to work either by themselves or with a team.

19. Self-confident
Has the ability to keep going when times are tough, and has a strong sense of his/her self.

20. Optimist
Productive people don't think they'll get it done, they know they will.

21. Flexible
No, not a gymnast, but able to fit things into the schedule in an organized manner.

22. Quick-witted
They're sharp as a tack, and think quickly. Thinking quickly leads to faster action, which productive people value greatly.

23. Determined
Productive people want to get things done, and having this mindset helps them do so.

24. Well-mannered
Productive people are kind to the people around them, because it's the right thing to do.

25. Considerate
Productive people are aware of the needs and desires of those around them, and act accordingly by adding those elements into their plan of action.

26. Early-waking
(see #27)

27. Energetic
A productive person has the energy to start when they wake up and go until they they go to sleep.

28. Intuitive
This type of person can use deductive reasoning to think for themselves in a confident way.

29. Resourceful
Productive people use the wealth of resources around them to get things with quality and efficiency.

30. Inventive
It's important to be creative, but productive people take it to the next step and bring these ideas into reality.

Looking at most famous productive people from the past, and people we know, we see that productivity takes hard work and commitment. However, from the qualities of productive people we can see that over time the attributes build off each other, creating building blocks of success that is achievable by anyone.

So, you did something you wish you didn't do. It happens to everyone, and while it isn't fun, you can diminish the bad feeling quickly. It's good to have an 'it happened for a reason' mindset, but until you develop the self discipline to put that into practice, these steps will help:

1. Start by recognizing what it is that you did. Ask yourself the following questions, and provide yourself with a logical answer for each:
-What did I do that I regret?
-Why did I do this?
-How will I avoid doing something similar again?

After you've answered these, it's time to remind yourself of a few things:

2. You can't fix it, so don't worry about it!
If you've already taken action in doing something, you can't undo it. There's no control-z here. Remind yourself of this, and become content with the fact that whatever decision you made is now part of the past. The past shouldn't bother you; you're still alive, aren't you?

3. Maybe it was just meant to be this way.
Now, don't take a passive approach to the situation, but if try and point out the positives. If the decision wasn't even anything that big, remind yourself there's nothing to worry about. Even if it was a big deal, try and search out the positives.

4. I now have the knowledge not to do something similar again.
Take in what you did as an important life lesson. In my honest opinion, the best education comes from experience. If you did something once and didn't enjoy the outcome, chances are you won't deliberately do it again.

Keep ideas like these in the back of your mind if anything bad ever happens. They'll make you feel much better. The next steps are a few extra things to try:

5. Talk to someone close about it
You may already have someone that you share your thoughts and feelings with, but if not it's a good idea to find someone. Whether it's your spouse, sibling, friend or parent, there are plenty of people that care about you that are willing to listen. If you hurt someone with your decision, try talking to them after things have settled down a bit. It's a good emotional experience for both sides of the situation to converse about what happened.

I hope these tips can help you out either now, or in the future. It's important to look at things from a realist's point of view and see them as they really are in order to analyze situations and make yourself feel better.


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Being that sleeping consumes almost half of our lives, it's important to be good at it. For some people, it's every few nights, for some its every other night, but the truth is that many people aren't getting as much sleep as they should be. You need 7-8 hours (if not more) of sleep to be healthy. A good night's sleep holds many benefits, and it's not all that hard. Here are 10 easy, simple things you can do to get a better sleep.


1. Clear your mind
Every night, before you doze off, take a quick recap of your day. Simply review what went on and what you did. If you have any other thoughts about upcoming things, review those too. Your goal should be to have a content attitude about your day and life before going to sleep, as a clear mind will make it MUCH easier.

2. Get rid of stress

3. Read
Whether it's a book, magazine, catalog, or anything else, reading will always help you sleep. It helps you to relax, clear your mind, and put interesting new things into your mind that you can think about in a relaxed manner.

5. Keep on schedule
It's important to stay on schedule when sleeping. Give yourself a bedtime, like when you were a kid, and follow it. Setting an alarm in the morning also helps (despite how annoying it can be).

6. Don't try and sleep if you're not tired.
Sometimes, we just can't go to sleep. Theres no need to add stress to the situation by attempting to force yourself to sleep. Go watch tv or read until you feel tired, then try again.

7. Don't eat/drink too much before going to bed
It's a good idea not to fill your body up right before you're planning on going to bed. Not only will this be uncomfortable, you will most likely have to get up a few times to go to the bathroom.

8. Make it easy for yourself
Simply say to yourself "I'm going to get an awesome sleep tonight". If you can stay in that positive attitude, chances are you can successfully fall asleep regularly.

9. Exercise
Be active during your day. Doing so raises Serotonin levels to fight stress and depression, and will also make you more tired by nighttime.

10. Do what works for you
Try different methods, and see what's best for your own body. You know yourself best.




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Blogs and Digg are two of the coolest internet-concepts ever. Firefox is the greatest web browser ever made (problem?). Here are 10 firefox add-ons you must have if you digg or blog:

1. StumbleUpon
2. Smart Digg Button
3. RSS Ticker
4. ScribeFire
5. Greasemonkey
6. Firebug
7. Blogger Bar

You stumble items, see if they've been dugg yet with the button, submit them if not, and read more stories via the rss ticker. You can blog stories and pictures from stumble and digg, and use greasemonkey to enhance the websites you use. These extensions give you flexibility and efficiency in your blogging, browsing, and digging experiences.

Life can be stressful. We have things to do, places to be, people to meet, but we often forget that real success can be found in the simplest of things, many of which you may have forgotten. Here are 25 of these things, in no particular order:

1. Birds chirping
2. Nature
3. Weather
4. Random (sometimes unseen) acts of kindness
5. Society and the people in it
6. Your enemies
7. The internet
8. Water
9. The ability to feel gratitude
10. Clouds
11. Trees
12. Grass (yes, I know you're allergic, but try and enjoy it)
13. Sleep
14. Good memories
15. Negative memories
16. Mistakes
17. Pennies
18. Education
19. Life
20. Common sense
21. Abilities to listen, talk, smell and taste
22. True comfort
23. Acquaintances
24. Philanthropy
25. The human brain

When you go out today, consider these, and keep a look out for other simple things that you see. View everything with compassion, and see how it feels.


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Good evening, everyone. Here are my favorite diggs for the day:

Technology
-RIAA Website wiped clean by 'hackers'
-Congrats to Kevin and everyone at digg for the nominations
-'Why Apple is Apple'

[PICS]
-Cloverfield Warning
-Simpsons Fused With Futurama

Other Interesting Things?
-Bush Pardons Himself Against Warcrimes
-Police Abuse Tasers Even More
-Obama Wins Nevada

Have a nice Sunday.

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We're all well aware that Wikipedia is one of the largest collections of information in the world, as well as one of the most visited websites of all time. Wikipedia is an awesome resources for basically anything you'll ever need to know, so it's important to know how to really use it, especially if you ever want to become a genius.


1. For Research
If you plan on researching using wikipedia, just keep an eye out for 'citation needed'. Besides that, you're in good shape. A good tactic for effective researching is using the search bar once, and then using that topic to link to other topics.

2. For News
Wikinews can be used as a simple, effective news source. The stories are updated very quickly, and you can even RSS it.

3. For Sharing
If you're an 'expert' on a certain topic, don't hesitate to spread your wealth of knowledge using Wikipedia. Write what you know, and make sure you've got sources.

4. For Fun
Can you say 'random article'?

5. For Quotes
Wikiquotes is an awesome resource for finding quotes. Searching is quick and accurate, and the pages are kept simple so you can really find what you're looking for.
Example

6. For Species?
Yeah, I know how much you're all interested in species (sorry, biology gurus) but hey, you never know when you might need the info. They're listed and categorized in a hierarchical manner, so it's pretty easy to find your way around (if you can pronounce complex Latin).

7. For Reading
I didn't know about this one until recently, but it's another sweet resource. Wikisource provides over 72,000 pages of literature texts. That could last you a while.

8. For School
Of course Wikipedia itself comes in handy for school work, but there's also the seldom-known (at least where I'm from) Wikibooks for text books. Full textbooks are available, and are provided in PDF format. If you're still in school, this is another great resource.

9. For Extended Learning

10. For whatever else you want it to be.


So, use wikis to your advantage, and enjoy!


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Sometimes, we have something important to do but we're so overwhelmed by the thought of doing it that we never actually complete the task. It's a nervous form of procrastination, and we could all use a little less of it in our lives. Here are some tips to keep you productive in planning and finishing whatever it is you're working on:




1. Figure out what it is that you really want to accomplish.
This one's something pretty important that many people neglect to do. You need to establish with yourself what you want to be affected by this task. Ask yourself these few questions by using the 'WWWWWH formula' (who, what, when, where, why and how):

-Who am I doing this for?
-What will be the outcome of me doing this?
-When do I plan on doing this? (maybe you should log out and get to work? :P)
-Where will finishing this activity take me?
-Why do I want to finish this activity?
-How will I complete this task?

So, use those as parameters but you don't really need to get all hung up on following a strict formula. Just experiment a bit and go with whatever works for you.

2. Get organized!
If most of us really take the time to look around, we'll see that some of our surroundings are sloppy and unorganized. Before you start ANY task, it's always a good idea to get organized. I personally have a good organization strategy (when I actually get around to it).
-Assess the mess.
-Don't be too lenient with yourself about what you're keeping and what you're not.
-Sort things (this always helps, regardless of the type of task it is)
-Don't be surprised when your garbage pile is bigger than your keeper pile. (literally or hypothetically)
You can apply these tips to most things you're trying to get done. Once again, experiment and see what works well for you.

3. Stop thinking, and get to it!
Now, I know this how-to requires much thinking and analysis about how you're going to finish something. There's one reason why I'm doing it this way:

When you have these things under your belt, you won't need to worry about the preparation process as much so you can put more time into accomplishing your task when you choose to.

Those are my 3 simple steps to accomplishing a task in a productive manner. Have a great Sunday!


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So I just opened iTunes, and Diggnation- 1/18/08 started downloading! I guess when they updated revision3 website they also made this change? Regardless of the circumstances, this is awesome. Pretty much made my day. Is this going to be a regular thing now, or was it just a 'special occasion'?




















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Tech
-Wikipedia Goes Video
-"You Suck at Photoshop, Episode 3"
-Revision3 Launches New Website
-MacBook Air vs. Asus eee
-Best of Adobe Flash Tutorials

Politics
-Huckabee Gave Speech To White Supremacists
-What About John Edwards?

Crazy Cool Stuff
-The Richest American You've Never Heard Of
-Shank Found Inside Polly Pocket
-5 Most Horrifying Bugs In the World

Sometimes, despite all of our positive intentions, there are sometimes still things around us creating a cloud of negativity. We all know this is unpleasant, and I've found a few ways to make it easier to deal with.

1. Be grateful that you have a positive attitude.
2. Put on some music that you enjoy.
3. Write about it.
4. Do something fun to distract you from it.
5. Do something productive to distract you from it.
6. Go outside for a walk.
7. Look around you and find the positives.
8. Call up a friend and have a good conversation
9. Read a book.
10. Clean up around the house.
11. Feel good about what you're doing.
12. Re-evaluate the situation.
13. Make a game of changing negatives to positives in your head.
14. Take a nap.
15. Push yourself to work harder; look ahead at the benefits.
16. Try something you usually wouldn't think of doing.
17. Relax.
18. Play a game.
19. Analyze the situation and learn something from it.
20. Clear your mind.

Try these out! If you have any suggestions of your own, feel free to share your thoughts.

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Most, if not all of us, have desires and needs. We enjoy thinking about the future and coming up with ideas about how things are going to play out. However, a surprising amount of people I've talked to contemplate their future vaguely and don't do much about it! If we want to make positive change in our lives, we must put thought AND action into doing so. An effective goal setting plan is healthy, smart, and can also be very enjoyable. Here are some steps to can take for better goal-setting habits:


1. Put it in Writing
Being someone who naturally enjoys writing, I'm a big fan of this one. However, you can make this an exciting task even if you don't like writing. You can either type, or hand write your goals. It's that simple; just make a list of your goals and when you want to accomplish them.
Personally, I always keep a textedit document open in the shape of a sidebar on the left hand side of my screen. This way, if I have some sort of spontaneous thought about something I want to do, I won't forget to write it down. I feel that writing out your goals is the most effective way of achieving them, because by doing this you're subconsciously committing some of your energy towards it. So far most (if not all) of the short-term goals I've put into writing have been achieved.

2. Visualize
This one's a lot of fun. Take a seat, breathe, and visualize your goal completed. Whatever it is, if you've seen, smelt and breathed it, you're that much closer to achieving it. There are plenty of resources out there to help you learn about this technique, a popular one being 'The Secret'. It's an enjoyable movie (and an enjoyable book, being that the movie is an exact visual representation of the book). One thing I learned from the movie is to keep a vision board. Not only is this fun, it's also effective. You basically just cut out and post pictures of things (material or symbolic) that you want to have, and goals you want to accomplish. This helps to embed your goals in your mind both consciously and subconsciously. Once you get used to visualizing, it becomes an exciting and realistic experience.

3. Act, but don't obsess
Now, put your goal into action. Make room in your daily life to work on completing it. If you don't have time, try and make some. If you can't make any time to work on it, do the last two steps and put it aside until you have some time. Sometimes all it takes is the intention.

Good luck setting your own goals!
If you have any other methods that work well for you, please feel free to post your ideas!

Remember:
"Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination."
Fitzhugh Dodson



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As society progresses and technology continues to develop faster than we can keep up, we're valuing knowledge more and more. Maybe someone'll do a story comparing the value of the average wikipedia article to the US dollar?


Anyways, here are a few surefire ways to start on your way to internet-brilliance:


1. Wikipedia
Who ever said 'random article' was a bad thing? Most likely no one, because it rocks. If you're waiting for something to finish loading, etc, don't waste your time; try hitting the epic RA button a few times. Who knows what you could find?

2. StumbleUpon
Choose your interests wisely, and watch as you magically stumble upon brilliant page after brilliant page. Wear a helmet though, as you may start whacking yourself in the head with something saying "Why the hell didn't I think of that?!?!"
3. Digg
I make it a personal goal to go through the popular stories on digg each day. It's a great combination of important news, useful information as well as entertainment.

4. RSS
Take all of your favorite blogs (you know which ones.. *cough, cough*) and make a big RSS folder with your favorites. It helps to have firefox with RSS Ticker installed. The ticker allows you to view items from your live bookmarks scrolling across your toolbar.

5. Forums
Find a forum that fits your interests, and join! Most popular forums have a 'general' section where people post everything from news to memes. It's a good opportunity to exchange information with other people who share similar interests. This is one of the best ways to learn something new.

Now for the semi-irrelivant random quote of the day!
'We must learn our limits. We are all something, but none of us are everything.'

Have a good one~

So, I discovered this site, photophlow, a few weeks ago, and so far I've been very entertained and impressed. It's basically a flickr chat community full of features to enhance your flickr experience. You communicate with other flickr users in chat rooms, and post photos. You have the ability to fav, comment, and add contacts, as well as browse privately. It's a great addition to any flickr user's bookmark list.
The site is still invite only, but I've got 3 left for the first people who want them! The project's two main developers, striatic and neilberkman, are friendly and helpful when you first get started. If you have any other questions on how it works, feel 'phree' to send me flickrmail.


Be sure to check out photophlow and tell all your friends :]

Have a good one-
Chaz