The first time for everything is always the most exciting one. Whether it is your first day in a new job or going on a first date, you will always remember those “first” times. Not only is there a lot of excitement loaded in those events, but there is also…

It’s that time of year when we’re all thinking about what we’d like to achieve in the New Year. Whether it’s improving an area of our lives (health or finance for example), taking a life-changing trip or embarking on a new career, chances are we have an idea of what we want to achieve, but…

There are some movies that give great business advice. And there are some movies that give, shall we say, questionable advice for the sake of advancing the plot. If you’ve been taking your business advice from movies, you’re probably already in rough shape. But if you’ve been taking guidance from these quotes in particular…

Sun Tzu’s seminal work “The Art of War” has been referenced for millennia by historians, military tacticians, and world leaders. In fact, the book is still recommended reading for the US Marine Corps. With such timeless advice, I found myself asking one simple question: How can we apply Sun Tzu’s principles of warfare to…

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…

Consider this: In three weeks time, you have a big presentation to a long-hoped-for new client. Three weeks is plenty of time, though, so each day you sit down at your computer and, instead of working on your presentation, play game after game of Desktop Tower Defense. Three weeks and a day…

Christmas is fast approaching, and alongside the most famous holiday of the year comes a fresh batch of very confused people. Very confused people gifted with strange gadgets the likes of which they’ve only seen in catalogues and sci-fi reruns. Perhaps we’re talking about a grandmother with a new digital camera she can’t figure out…

Dear daughter, You are a wonderful person and your mother and I think the world of you.  It will not be long before you leave home to make your way in the world.  Can I please give you some friendly advice?  Here are some things that you should never do. 1.  Never Despise Yourself. You are…

Today’s employers seem to want more of our time than ever. In the US, the average worker puts in 55 hours a week; in Europe and other places where short working weeks have long been the norm, workers are struggling to hold on to their reasonable schedules as employers look to the US model in…

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…

Stop me if you’ve heard this before… it’s a good idea to differentiate your luggage by tying a brightly-colored object to the handle… oh, you’ve heard that one? Here are some tips that may not be as common, based on experience and mistakes I have personally made or have learned about from my frequent flier…

In January, we asked you what advice you’d give your younger self as part of our regular We Ask, You Answer feature. There was plenty of great advice—and a lot of catharsis, it seemed—and we’ve collected some of the best tips for you here. 1. Don’t worry about the future. 2. Follow your passion, even if it does…

This month, we asked Lifehack.org contributors — and you, our readers — to think about the things that are missing in today’s productivity systems. Not only the areas where the "Big Name" systems fall short, but the gaps in our own systems, the places where we as individuals fall down. The Lifehack.org…

Ever encountered a project where only one decision needs to be made before you can finish the project? It may only take you a few hours to finish the project once that decision is made, but invariably, it’s the decision that takes forever to make. It’s because decision-making is as much a skill as riding…

Be the change you want to see in the world.–Mahatma Gandhi This quote by Gandhi gets trotted out a lot by people with nothing but the best intentions. Suitable for bumper stickers, motivational posters, and sticking to the top of blog posts, it seems custom-made for all your feel-good occasions. But what does it really mean?…