Dumb Little Man | Tips for Life

Sometime back, Leo Babauta from Zen Habits talked about how doing less and being less productive could benefit your work and life. He talks about spending less time doing quality work and have more time for fun.

Taking inspiration from Leo, I thought it'd be nice to take a break from productivity here at DLM and focus on some ways to kill time and have fun. That means another list of cool sites, but this time, it's not a list of productivity tools. Instead, it's a list of some great sites that will help you unwind and have fun.

The list includes some prominent social networks, video and humor sites, games and some unusual sites you might not have heard of. Check them out.

• Yearbook Yourself
  I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't love this site. Yearbook Yourself lets you upload your photos and give it the old retro look from 1950s and 60s. It has different looks for different decades. It's fun to see yourself in a black and white picture with some weird wig on your head. You can also edit the pictures and download them to your computer.
  


• Veryfunnyads
  Veryfunnyads, as the name suggests, is a site which brings you some of the funniest video adverts of different products. There are different categories you can choose from, like animals, cars, gadgets, kids and more. You could also pick specific brands or watch ads by countries in which they appeared.


• Google Image Labeler
  Google Image Labeler is a cool tool. In fact, it's a game within Google's Image Search that helps you suggest better labels for web images. It's very simple but can get addictive once you start playing it.
  
  You are randomly paired with an online partner and both of you label the image you see in the time allotted to you. When both of you type the same label it's a match and you proceed to the next image. A fun way to pass time.


• AudienceSounds
  Another really interesting way to kill time. AudienceSounds is a repository of sounds. Be it clapping, laughing, giggling, snoring or cute baby sounds, they've got all covered. There are different categories too, like crowd sounds, people sounds, sounds by gender and baby sounds.
  
  Listen to them online or download them to your computer/mobile phone to use them as your ringtone.


• College Humor
  College Humor is a well known comedy site that has humor videos submitted by users along with pictures, articles and much more. Some of the videos are really innovative like this prank played on a guy in a basketball court. It's awesome.
  
  Along this same line is a site named Funny of Die. It was created by Will Ferrell and is pretty funny.


• The Onion
  The Onion is another very well known source of laughter and entertainment on the web. It is a satirical news site and is also circulated in print in the U.S. It contains current event and news parodies, some of which are simply hilarious.


• YouTube
  When there are million of videos watched everyday on a site, it just can't be ignored in this list. YouTube is probably the first site we visit when we think of taking a break from work. With videos from all over the world and on almost every topic you can imagine, this site never disappoints.


• Twitter
  Want to kill time and not think about Twitter? Many would consider it a sin. Twitter, which continues to grow by leaps and bounds every month, is the simplest way to communicate with people around the world. While it has many advantages, it is without a doubt a great site to pass time.


• Miniclip
  Miniclip is a popular site which hosts games of all kinds. From flash games to nifty puzzle games, car racing games to big multi-player games, there are a number of options for games addicts.


• Unnecessary Knowledge
  Unnecessary Knowledge presents you facts which are weird, hilarious and could well be untrue. But that doesn't matter. The site is entertaining and the facts, true or not, give you the opportunity to have a good laugh. Just rate the facts and flip through them to keep enjoying.


• Scribbls
  Scribbls lets you draw whatever you want to draw. You could also take random drawings from other users and apply your creativity to them. Also rate and comment on other pictures.


• Facebook
  And lastly, we have our social network of choice - Facebook. Going by the news I browse through everyday, Facebook could well become the only meaningful social network ten years from now. Its growth is just insane. Obviously, people love spending time on it. I am guessing most of you love doing it too.

So that was about how you could kill time and have fun on the web. Did you like the sites? Do you have some other way of killing time on the web? Lets hear about them in the comments.

Cheers,
Abhijeet

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Your best friend, procrastination.

"What!" you say, "My best friend, how could you say that?" The reason procrastination is your best friend is because it's on the teetering edge of motivation.

Let me explain.

For a behavior to be classified as procrastination, it must be counterproductive, needless, and delaying. Here are some other examples you may be familiar with:

• putting off an important decision
  
• leaving a critical task undone
  
• becoming counterproductive and keeping "busy" on needless work
  

To start behaving this way it takes real mastery. You've got to learn how to procrastinate - it doesn't just happen. You've got to use your physiology, create the right emotions and get it all working perfectly and in the right sequence. And when you get really good at it so you can do it without thinking, then you've really mastered it. What an accomplishment!!

Most people don't look at it this way. They think procrastination is a negative thing. What they don't realize is that you learned this behavior. If you can learn how to procrastinate and do it well, then you can just as easily learn how to become motivated.

You see, all you're creating is a result. You're teaching yourself how to get motivated or how to procrastinate. To get really good at procrastination you had to learn how to use your emotions because your emotions are what drive your behavior.

Here are 2 ways to overcome procrastination:

1. Eliminate Fear
   You see, you've got these emotions pulling you back and forth. It's like an internal tug of war. Some days you're good and others days - not so good. Positive emotions pull you towards what you want; negative emotions push you away.
   
   In a sense, procrastination is a form of self-sabotage. If fear didn't exist then you wouldn't be putting things off. You just go for it!
   
   But since you're putting things off (like we all do at some point) then your negative emotions must be stronger than your positive emotions; or in other words, your fear is winning the tug of war.
   
   If you want to eliminate procrastination, then eliminate your fear. Just ask yourself: Are you pushing away the things you want? And if you are, are you pushing them away because of your fear of success or your fear of failure?
   
   Once you get clear on what's stopping you, you can reframe those fears and empower yourself to take action.


2. Cultivate Desire
   Remember, emotions govern your behavior. Fear pushes you away from what you want and desire pulls it towards you.
   
   Someone once asked me, "Why did you get into coaching?" I thought about it and said, "Because I have an overwhelming desire to do it." It's not an overly complicated answer, but here's my point.
   
   Your emotions are what drive your behavior. If you keep putting something off, then you don't have a burning desire to do it. No desire = no action.
   
   So, how do you cultivate desire?
   
   You start with the end in mind. How will things look when they're all done? What will you see and how will you feel?
   
   If you can associate strong emotions with the end result, you can cultivate a burning desire. Then watch how fast you jump into action.

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Intelligence is your capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding and mastery. It’s your aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts and meanings.

Knowing a great deal is not the same as being intelligent; intelligence is not information “alone,” but also judgment, the manner in which information is collected and used. -Dr. Carl Sagan

This article will offer you five ways to increase your intelligence by showing you how to enhance your capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding and mastery.

5 Ways to Become More Intelligent

1. Read Often
   Do you realize that through reading you can learn in a few hours what took someone decades to learn? Reading not only informs, but it also increases your capacity for learning, thereby increasing your intelligence.
   
   Although knowledge is not the summation of intelligence, it is the foundation of intelligence, so it’s crucial that we cultivate the joy of reading.
   
   It’s an amazing thing, people who become successful write down how they did it, and then sell that information for a few dollars. For a few dollars and a few hours you can literally pick someone’s brain; you can buy a piece of their intelligence.
   
   Reading gives you insight into great minds and sharpens your intellect. This allows you the ability to make greater logical connections because reading gives you more pieces of life’s puzzle. By reading from a multiplicity of sources, you gain the wisdom of many.
   
   Reading (blogs like this one) is a great way to increase your intelligence. Remember, readers are leaders, and leaders are usually intelligent.


2. Teach Others
   
   

   “Those that understand, teach.”- Aristotle

   
   Teaching increases your capacity for reasoning, a critical aspect of intelligence.
   Anyone who’s ever successfully taught anything realizes that teaching increases your capacity to reason. When you teach, you’re often required to view what you’re teaching from a variety of perspectives.
   
   

   “I've always felt that a person's intelligence is directly reflected by the number of conflicting points of view he can entertain simultaneously on the same topic.”-Abigail Adams

   
   When you teach, it’s often essential that you question what you believe in order to deal with objections and oppositions that are sure to arise. Teaching is often more beneficial to the teacher than the student.


3. Get Into Action
   Action increases your capacity to understand a subject. As the old proverb goes, “In all thy getting, get understanding.”
   
   You can have information, and you can teach what you know, but you will never fully understand a subject until you put it into practice. If you want to significantly increase your intelligence related to cooking, don’t just watch the Cooking Channel and don’t just tell someone how to cook; you must master cooking yourself by trying, failing, and perfecting the act of cooking.
   
   You will always understand things better when you do them yourself. Knowledge gives you the pieces of the puzzle; understanding helps you put the puzzle together.
   
   

   “A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting.”-Henry David Thoreau



4. Master One Subject
   Mastery is a sign of intelligence. Mastery comes from focusing on one subject until you fully understand it. If you can fully understand one subject, it will help you to better understand other subjects. In other words, mastery will increase your aptitude for grasping truths. If you can master playing the piano, you will better understand music in general.
   
   Additionally, if you can master any subject, you will understand what it takes to succeed.


5. Bonus: Watch More Television
   You probably didn’t see this one coming.
   
   By watching more television, you can become more “well-rounded.” Of course I’m not referring to watching more of the The Simpsons, I’m talking about watching television shows that offer an educational message such as political shows or shows on The Discovery Channel or The History Channel. These shows can increase your capacity for learning, reasoning, and understanding as long as you don't choose educational shows that also stress you out.

By putting these principles into practice on a consistent basis, you will begin to take on the characteristics of an intellectual. Your capacity to learn will be stretched, your reasoning skills will be utilized, your understanding will increase, and you will master at least one subject.

Written on 11/05/2009 by Mr. Self Development who is a motivational author that offers a practical guide to success and wealth; support him by visiting his blog at mrselfdevelopment.com. .

Photo Credit: Kamil Porembiński

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You spend a lot of time reading. Whether it’s blogs, magazines, journals, Twitter streams, newspapers or good old fashioned books, you’ve got a huge amount of information at your fingertips. Every day, you take in tons of ideas for overhauling your life: whether it’s shaking up your fitness regime, working more effectively, or having stronger relationships.

The problem is, it’s easy to get caught up in this sea of information. You might feel inspired when you read a particular blog article, or you might get a great idea from a journal... but all too often, that thought barely gets started before the next piece of information rushes in.

So how can you make sure that you’re not just passively reading through pages of information – you’re actually taking steps to make serious improvements in your life?

Avoiding Information Overload
First off, I’d say that it’s better to read a dozen articles and really make use of them, rather than skim a hundred. If you currently have a lot of magazine and journal subscriptions, or you have loads of blogs and email newsletters that you keep track of, consider whether it’s time to cut down.

If, like many of us, you use your email and your RSS reader for business purposes and for entertainment, then try dividing up your mail and feeds into sensible categories. I have a category in my RSS reader labeled “personal development”, and keeping these in one places means that when it’s time to read them, I’m ready to make notes and take actions as necessary. If you use Google Reader, try The 10 Most Useful Google Reader Productivity Tips to make sure you’re using it as effectively as possible.

Using a Notebook (Paper or Electronic)
First, you need a way to capture those ideas. Trying to hold them all in your head just won’t work and you know it! Whenever you’re reading for information (rather than for entertainment), keep a notebook on your desk or a document open on your computer. Jot down anything that comes up: it might be a reference that you want to look up, a particular tip you want to implement in your life, or a reminder to yourself.

Simply writing something down doesn’t get it done though. We’ve all written down lists of ideas and then forgotten about them for weeks. I have a couple of ways of avoiding that: which of these would work for your projects?

1. Transferring Notebook Items to a Task List, Calendar, or Diary
   Every day, or every couple of days, go through the list of items in your notebook (or document) and decide how to fit them into your task list. This might mean scheduling some time in your calendar, or it might simply mean adding them to a “to-do” list.


2. Use a Separate Notebook For Each Project
   When your notebook jottings relate to long term projects (such as improving your company’s website or decorating your house), keep them in one document. When you come to a day or an afternoon which you’ve earmarked for that project, simply open up your document and all your ideas will be in one place.

Using Online Tools
There are loads of online tools or pieces of software which can be used to capture, track and manage tasks and pieces of information. By all means use these but make sure you’re actually using them. By that I mean that there’s no benefit in bookmarking dozens of websites if you don’t ever go back and read them or put their advice into action! For some great advice on using bookmarks effectively in Firefox, read 9 Power Tips To Utilize Your Firefox Bookmarks.

I personally like Delicious for keeping track of web pages that I want to come back to or which I think might be useful to me. Often though, I simply keep URL links in the file which relates to that particular project.

It’s very easy to end up spending a lot of time tagging, filing and organizing online materials without really taking any action. Be strict with yourself and if a particular tool is becoming a time-waster, don’t be afraid to ditch it.

Finally ... Don’t Try to Take In Everything
There is far, far more information available than any of us ever have time to read. Much of this is great, authoritative, even life-changing stuff. However, if we all tried to keep up with everything, we’d never be able to actually take any actions. (Check out Six Smart Ways To Beat Information Overload if you’re struggling to stem the tide of information.)

Don’t worry about missing out: if there’s a truly life-changing idea out there for you, you’ll come across it one way or another. Ultimately, books, blogs, magazines and journals may well change the direction of your career or even your life ... but only because you make the time to take conscious action.

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This is the time of year when days begin to feel shorter and shorter. We see the sun much less, and when we do, it's often fighting a battle of gloominess with an impending cold front.

This gloominess hits us all pretty hard. In fact, if you've ever believed that you had a case of the Winter Blues, this is what we're talking about. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is no laughing matter because these dark-gray-rainy days have a huge impact on your mood and energy level. The good news is that we can all partially escape this mental zapping.

By now it's common sense to us all that our bodies are fueled by what we put in it. While most of us often think of this as it pertains to our physical traits or appearance, it's important to know that there is a connection with food when it comes to boosting your mood. If you’ve been feeling blue lately or if you are expecting an annual visit from the Winter Blues, here are 7 food groups that might actually help boost your body and your mind:

1. Eat your greens and your grains
   The University of Kuopio in Finland conducted a study with 2,313 men for more than 10 years and they found that leafy greens and fortified cereals are good for your brain.
   


2. Vitamin B 12 should not be ignored
   The study of the University of Kuopio also showed that dairy, shellfish and eggs can help your mood.
   


3. Increase your intake of folate
   The same Finnish study found that increasing your intake of lentils, spinach, berries oranges and avocados will have a positive effect on your mood.


4. Orange is a great color
   Orange vegetables are high in beta carotene and they are not only highly recommended to maintain proper eye sight, but they are excellent for your brain.


5. Drink tea
   Nothing is more soothing that a cup of tea during the colder months of the year. Another study from Finland shows that 2,000 surveyed Finns who drank tea every day reported less incidences of feeling down or depressed compared to Finns who weren’t regular tea drinkers. The study also shows that the theanine naturally found in tea helps calm you down.
   


6. Vitamin D
   They don’t call it the “sunshine vitamin” for nothing. Most people living in parts of the world that has winter are deficient in vitamin D. In fact, Dr. Mehmet Oz declared that 100 million Americans were deficient in D in a recent episode on his new TV show “Dr. Oz” (think about it, that’s about 1/3 of the American population)!
   
   A 2008 study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry showed there is a direct link between deficiency of vitamin D and depression. Milk and milk products are the obvious source of vitamin D, but if you are lactose intolerant that won’t help you. Some people simply don’t like the taste of milk and milk products and that’s where a daily supplement of vitamin D comes in so handy. If you can afford it, choose a liquid vitamin D which is immediately absorbed into the body!


7. Fish is good for your mood
   If you don’t like fish, don’t worry, omega-3 might become of the best supplements you can take to enhance your mood. The University of Arizona’s scientific review concluded that omega-3 fatty acids eicosapenta-enoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) found in fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and tuna helped people with major depression and people who suffered from bipolar depression. The study is so compelling that the American Psychiatry Association endorsed the review and now recommends that adults eat fish twice a week and that people with mental health issues consume at least one gram of omega-3 a day to help with their disorder.

If you’re feeling blue and you’re having problem shaking it off, you might want to consult a doctor, nutritionist or naturopathic doctor to find out how to incorporate these mood-enhancing foods.

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