Even if you are naturally shy, these three tricks will help you to quickly build a new social circle in any new city. 1. Take Pictures One of the great things about taking pictures at an event or party is that it gives you an excuse to get in touch with the person later.  Everybody loves seeing…

Life is full of setbacks and heartache. The difference between unsuccessful people and successful people often comes down to one thing: mental toughness. You can be someone who lets failure derail you, feel like a victim, and tell “your story” of defeat to everyone you know.  Or you can do the most difficult and healthy thing of…

Life is full of little situations that you encounter regularly.  Some people don’t see these for the opportunities that they are: a chance to stand out, be different, and be memorable. They’re a way to quickly built rapport with someone so they can think back later and say “Brian…hmm, yeah he was the guy who does…

Lately, I’ve been simultaneously using less and less of what I learned in school while discovering more and more skills that are vital to success which were never even offered in school! If I were to be 100% honest, probably the most valuable skill I learned in college was how to talk to girls (certainly a…

Donald Trump & Melania (Courtesy of Boss Tweed via flickr) I’ve noticed lately that people aren’t very good at handling criticism, even when they’ve asked for it. Our natural tendency when given advice or criticism is to become defensive and upset. We try to convince the person they’re wrong (or at least to see it from…

If you’re anything like me, you probably have a whole stack of books sitting around that you’re really going to read some day. Yeah right! Sure, it would be nice to get some more reading done, but let’s face it: there is usually something more urgent that needs to get done. And when you…

Today’s hack is simple, and effective. I use it almost every day. The next time you leave a message on someone’s cell phone, press ‘#’ when you’re done. On 99% of cell phone carriers you will then be given an opportunity to listen to your message, and if needed, delete it to record a…

I came home for Christmas break last year and the first word’s out of my parents mouth’s were “You look taller, have you grown?” Only six months had passed since I last saw them, and I hadn’t grown one inch. I was sure of it. I thought nothing of it until a few days later…

About a year ago I had a major shift in the way I thought about eating, and it has improved my health ever since. The way I used to eat: I associated unhealthy food with pleasure, and healthy foods with pain. I would think about that burger, fries, and milkshake all day. About how juicy…

This is part 2 of my post from last week on how to design the perfect nap. Today, I’d like to continue by talking about how you can fall asleep no matter where you are. This is useful for napping in airports, couches, or at your desk if need be. The trick is the use…

Most people enjoy a good nap now and then, but are you really utilizing their full power? A correctly performed nap can give you a great boost in energy, focus, and concentration, but a poorly executed nap can leave you groggy and more tired than when you started. Several cultures around the world use a “siesta” in…

This is a neat little hack that I discovered last week when looking for a new cell phone plan. I had just gotten a BlackBerry Pearl, and the plan from T-Mobile came with unlimited data transfer for wireless internet on their EDGE network. (By the way this also works with other blackberry’s on…

The biggest mistake I see first time entrepreneurs make is that they spend too much money. They rent an office or retail location, pay big incorporation fees, hire employees, and build an expensive website (just to name a few). And all before they’ve earned their first dollar! Each month their cash reserves get lower and lower…

I used to hate TV. Not because of the shows that were on (although many of them were terrible), but because it killed my productivity. It was a love/hate relationship. When I was stressed out and my brain had been overwhelmed all day, I’d use television to escape for a few hours and recharge…

Ever since high school, I’ve had a peculiar problem. No matter how little sleep I get the entire week, no matter how much I avoid caffeine, no matter how much exercise I do…I am wide awake in the middle of the night doing my best work! Often my most productive hours are between midnight and 2 or…