126 Shares When I was a small child, I’d curl up on my parents’ bed after the sunshine had warmed their dark brown comforter. It was an oasis of peace and safety that I struggled to find in later years. I’d made the mistake of thinking that being an adult meant no longer delighting in “silly” things like a sun-warmed blanket. I was entirely wrong. Each day includes moments that can be deeply enjoyed or carelessly tossed aside. As I learned to identify and enjoy those moments amid the hubbub of regular life, I... More »
19 Shares Do you want more comments on your blog? Let’s assume you already know how valuable comments are to your blogging experience. But how do you get more of them? Here are 31 ways to increase comments on your blog. Some are concepts I use regularly on my own blogs. Others I know about from watching other bloggers. (Note that I don’t necessarily endorse all methods. You have to decide what is right for you.) Take a Stand – Most bloggers wallow in moral cowardice because they fear backlash. Take some time to... More »
Have you joined Lifehack on Facebook? Here are three quick reasons why you’ll want to consider doing so! Great conversations – Questions, confessions, thoughts, and inspirations… all come together on our page with thoughtful commentary you won’t get to see here on Lifehack.org. New content – The layout here on the main site makes quick thoughts a bit hard to navigate. As such, we’ve taken all the quick questions and comments over to our page for easy viewing and interaction! Amazing people – I’m not kidding here. Check it out. Some of... More »
When you go to see Despicable Me in 3D, which you will because it makes you laugh even though you grimace a bit because you’re not 12 anymore, hang onto those 3D glasses. You’ll need them to watch the 3D videos you post to Youtube by following the insanely simple directions served up by the crazies over at Zurb. Their opening is simple: “Nate was coming to the office to do a Soapbox and we decided two dimensions weren’t enough to fully capture him, so we set about to build our own... More »
One of the things I like best about social media is the way it helps me discover talented writers. They remind me a lot of distance athletes with their deep conversations about seemingly minor details and long periods of time spent practicing alone. The web also has a downside. There seems to be a growing belief that having mobile access to information negates any need to regularly consume quality writing. Some writers point to the popularity of the Twilight series and say it’s a sign the general population no longer cares about... More »
When I was 18 an old family friend told me that her best advice to anyone was always for them to be as true to themselves as they could. Looking back, I find it odd that she admonished me to be true to something I really couldn’t put my finger on. I didn’t know who I was. We all discover things about ourselves as we age and grow. But at 18? I didn’t have a clue. If I could give my 18 year-old self some advice, I’d tell myself to chase after... More »
472 Shares The idea behind sangria is simple: Take some wine and add nice things to it until you can’t resist pouring it all over ice and enjoying with friends. Of course, some recipes call for extra time in the fridge and most can be consumed by yourself. I’ve gathered five of my favorite sangria recipes and included links to six others with an explanation of what makes each unique. Be creative, take your time, and enjoy the process. Enjoy! 1. Ginger Brunch Sangria This sangria recipe is wonderful for early summer afternoons when the... More »
582 Shares You’re going out with somebody special and you need some date ideas to try? You’ve come to the right place! When I first started dating, my idea of a date was the stereotypical cheap-dinner-and-a-movie. Don’t hate on me, I didn’t know any better! By the time I finished high school I was pretty comfortable in my own skin and got pretty good at coming up with ideas for dates. I’ve put together a list of some of my favorites as well as some suggested by friends. Enjoy! What to wear on a... More »
1.9K Shares My mother often said, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. My father would quickly add, “then sell the lemonade at a fair price for a proft”. It sounded like a good way to live until I grew older and realized how many lemons there really are in the world. Advancing technology has made it easier than ever to find life’s lemons. Newspapers, radio, tv, the internet, and close-to-real-time services like Twitter allow us to fill every waking moment with lemons. So why is it that we often insist on spending the... More »
625 Shares Are you really listening? In my journey toward better communication, here are 5 ways I’ve found to help reduce the distractions we face in communication: 1. Clear some space – I started “clearing space” by removing everything from my work area that wasn’t related to the conversation at hand. As the notion of space trickled into other parts of my life, I found myself silencing my phone during meals. I started taking notes during presentations instead of Tweeting. And I gave pause after others spoke before replying. I soon discovered that I... More »
54 Shares Are you frustrated by the lack of perfection in your life? Are you fed up with all the mediocrity that surrounds you? If you’d like to vanquish uncertainty and mediocrity and replace them with joyful perfection, you’ve come to the right place! I discovered these 5 breakthrough steps as I backpacked across Mongolia with two of my best friends. It was very late in the evening when we walked into a tiny village with a name I still can’t pronounce. In spite of our blinding exhaustion, we noticed an overwhelming joy radiating... More »
349 Shares Do you start every morning with an internal argument over whether or not to hit the snooze button on your alarm clock again? Do you struggle to fall asleep at night and end up catching a “second wind” that lands you on the couch watching TV at 4am? If so, this sleep hack is for you. Sure the term “hack” has been used a lot. But in terms of simplification of a very complex process into two quick steps, this hack takes a very large cake. Keep reading to see what I... More »
169 Shares If you’re among the Twitter addicts who update multiple times per day this post won’t be of very much use. For those of you who are slowly moving away from Twitter because you don’t have the time for daily interaction, keep reading! There are three primary reasons why users fail to update their Twitter streams: Lack of interest – You used Twitter for a few months but never really connected with other users. Professional involvement – You spend so much time tweeting for clients that updating your own page feels like too... More »
259 Shares Do you need caffeine to get through your day? I’ve experienced every over-the-counter wakefulness supplement produced before 2007 (when I smartened up) and can promise you that it all has the same effect: A brief period of increased alertness is followed by a dramatic increase in lethargy (a crash) or anxiety and fidgeting. Consume enough caffeine combined with whatever jungle juice is in vogue and you’ll eventually turn into an over-clocked grouch. Perhaps you already are? You don’t have to be. Here are 7 ways to increase your alertness and subsequent productivity... More »
398 Shares He slowly counted the stack of $100 bills out loud and stopped at every thousand to confirm the number as he handed me the bills. It was a silly process but he seemed to find it useful. I wasn’t thinking about the money. I was thinking about the significance of bidding farewell to the last of my cars. He stopped counting. I signed the final paperwork. It was done. My earthly value had finally transitioned from a mass of tangible things to a list of mostly-intangibles. That was three years ago. A... More »
