Archive for February, 2008

Stay on Track with a Treadmill Journal

Nobody knows more tricks and hacks to keep themselves working towards their goals than writers! From getting fired up to start to knowing when to quit — and all the struggles to keep on going in between — writers need every dollop of motivational help they can scrape up.

One trick that some writers use is a “treadmill journal”. Unlike a typical journal, a treadmill journal is a single-purpose journal… » Continue

February 29 2008 | By Dustin | Tagged: journal, motivation, project, sticking_point, tasks, time_management, writing | 16 comments»

Journaling: How I Remember the Details

When I moved across the country, I brought two stuffed filing cabinets worth of personal papers. Not bills or business papers — we’re talking about notebooks filled with minutia of day-to-day life.

Since high school, I’ve relied on notebooks (my current preference is Moleskine cahiers, though I’ve used everything from composition books to huge 200-page sketchbooks to little spiral bounds obtained at the dollar store) to write down anything that… » Continue

February 28 2008 | By Thursday | Tagged: diary, journal, notebook, record, ubiquitous_capture | 21 comments»

Exploring Happiness

I know, I know; I’m either stupid or brave to even think about tackling this topic. Alright, we’ll go with stupid.

Before I start today’s chat, let me say that I know there is no ‘answer’ or consensus to this discussion. No sh*t Sherlock. I’m not stupid enough to think there might exist one universal standard or school of thought when it comes to this topic, perhaps just a bunch… » Continue

February 28 2008 | By Craig | Tagged: happiness, Lifehack, personal-development, self-help, self-improvement | 15 comments»

Join us for Lifehack Live, 10am PST, with Zen Organizer Regina Leeds

Join me for today’s (Thursday) live recording of Lifehack Live at 10am PST. I’ll be talking with “The Zen Organizer”, Regina Leeds, author of recent bestseller One Year to an Organized Life. We’ll be taking your calls during the show, so call in with your questions. The number is (347) 838-8244 (US-based phone number). Listen to the show’s stream at blogtalkradio.com/lifehack

Subscribe to the Lifehack Podcast Feed… » Continue

February 28 2008 | By Dustin | Tagged: organization, Podcast, regina_leeds | no comments»

The Perfect Mess

In an interview with Michael McLaughlin published in The New Writer’s Handbook (2007), Eric Abrahamson, co-author of A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder, says Your mess is perfect when it reaches the point at which, if you spent any more or any less time organizing, you would become inefficient.

When we see a perfectly clean, organized office, with it’s sleek glass-topped desk and a white MacBook centered perfectly… » Continue

February 27 2008 | By Dustin | Tagged: | 19 comments»

How to Lead People for Results

In a recent conversation I was told, “Leadership is about managing time and getting things done.” I couldn’t disagree more.

In my role at the Free Articulator, I manage and lead writers and editors every day. It has been said in the past that trying to manage artists (and all of our writers are) is a very difficult task. I can’t honestly disagree with that. The following is a recount… » Continue

February 27 2008 | By Joel | Tagged: leadership, people, relationship, team | 15 comments»

The Simply Effective Guide To Reaching Anyone Online

Networking online is very similar to networking face to face. You’re ultimately trying to connect with people and forge relationships. The only real difference is that you’re using slightly different tools to communicate, and have to compete a bit harder to get their attention.

It’s not always easy, but it’s never impossible, if you commit to being a certain type of person, and taking appropriate measures to reach your goal… » Continue

February 27 2008 | By Alex | Tagged: Communication, email, networking, online, tool | 7 comments»

Improving Productivity by Improving Lighting

We all know that our surroundings affect our ability to get work done, from that irritating buzzing from the next cubicle over to the uncomfortable chair causing our back pain. But what about lighting? Has the flicker of fluorescent lighting finally gotten to you?

There are plenty of problems attributed to lighting, from migraines to eye strain. On top of the physical issues, though, depending on the type of lighting… » Continue

February 26 2008 | By Thursday | Tagged: environment, ergonomic, lightbulb, lighting, work area | 10 comments»

How to Create and Manage Your “Bucket List” Before You Kick

There’s a new movie out promoting the idea that we should all be jumping out of airplanes, eating caviar and visiting the Wonders of the World before we finally croak. But is preparing a bucket list full of cliché items the right thing to do? Is it productive?

Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star in The Bucket List. It’s a hilarious flick about two terminally ill men who escape from… » Continue

February 26 2008 | By Tatsuya | Tagged: bucketlist, goals, Productivity | 8 comments»

The Newbie Guide to Blogging

We live in a blogging world. Whether you’re a business startup, an established business, a freelancer, an intern, a musician, or anyone else, blogging can help you:

Make your name or brand visible
Connect with others in your business or interest
Reach out to the public about issues you’re passionate about
Express yourself
Update clients or an audience about projects you’re working on
Share your knowledge
Learn to write better
Share

» Continue

February 25 2008 | By Dustin | Tagged: blog, blogging, Communication, software, tool, web-app | 45 comments»

12 Steps Closer to Your Ideal Work Day

What would an ideal workday look like? While there might not be a single answer across the board, all of us can relate to the fact that many of our workdays are not designed for optimal productivity. We complain about too many meetings, not enough pay, travel that saps your energy and did I mention the hours? Why not take some time today to consider what… » Continue

February 25 2008 | By Mike | Tagged: office, priorities, routine, work, workday | 12 comments»

Congratulations to the Winners of the “Spread the Love” Contest

The results are in — we have our winners for the lifehack.org “Spread the Love” contest. We ended up with just shy of 50 entries, 50 great posts on relationships — between friends, between lovers, between ideas, even between people and their pets. While we weren’t judging entries (the were chosen at random from all the valid entries), it was nice to see so many people respond with… » Continue

February 25 2008 | By Dustin | Tagged: contest, spreadthelove | 2 comments»

Lifehack Live for February 25, 2008: Muhammad Saleem

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This week on Lifehack Live, I talked with social media maven Muhammad Saleem about social media sites like Digg, Reddit, Propellr, and the like. Saleem talks about what social media is good for and how web workers and others can best make use of it.

You can find more of Muhammad Saleem’s work on the Web at CopyBlogger, ProBlogger, SearchEngineLand, and PronetAdvertising

» Continue

February 25 2008 | By Dustin | Tagged: muhammad_saleem, Podcast, social_media | 1 comment»

Lifehack Digest for February 24

Feeling Stuck? 100 Ways to Change your LifeCan you change our life in 20 minutes? Wise Bread thinks so. Set a timer for 20 minutes, sit down, and write a list of 100 goals — careers you want, places to see, people to meet, whatever. Tap into desires you didn’t know you had, so you can act on themTags: life creativity brainstorming
Time Management: The Pickle Jar TheoryJeremy

» Continue

February 25 2008 | By Lifehack | Tagged: links | 1 comment»

Lifehack Digest for February 22

10 Ways to Teach Yourself to Be OrganizedSmart advice on getting organized, ranging from scheduling time to declutter to getting your papers in order.Tags: organization, productivity, schedule

» Continue

February 23 2008 | By Lifehack | Tagged: links | no comments»

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