Productivity Archive:
What Exactly Is Lifestyle Design?
Over the past few weeks, I have received a handful of emails on the topic of lifestyle design. Specifically, a few people asked me what lifestyle design actually means. Instead of coming up with a short definition, I decided to put together a post that answers that question in detail.
In a nutshell, lifestyle design is all about creating your own design and plan for life. You start by asking yourself some basic questions such as:
- What do you want to accomplish in your life?
- What is important to you?
- Where do you want to live?
- What do you want to spend your time doing?
Once you have a good understanding of what you want out of life, you then design a lifestyle to suit your needs. Last but not least, you create a plan to make it happen.
5 Steps to Become an Early Riser
I’ve been a night owl my entire life, even when I had to get up early to head off to work. Funny thing is, I really enjoy getting up early in the morning. I just never could figure out how to do it without dragging myself out of the bed or wishing I had a syringe full of espresso.
However, for the first time in my life I have established a routine in which I wake up at 6:30 every morning. Crazy huh? I never would have thought I would be the type of person to willingly wake up early each day.
How to Have A Kick Ass 2010
I’m a firm believer of setting realistic goals. However, I’m also a big thinker who feels that no one should ever sell themselves short. You should never set a goal for yourself that is too easy to accomplish.
Instead, constantly push yourself as hard as possible. Why? Because pushing yourself makes you a stronger person. And who doesn’t want to be a stronger person?
So here’s a thought: why not set a goal of making this year the best year of your life? Can you think of a single reason why it shouldn’t be? I can’t.
So how can you make this year an amazing one? Start by doing some the following things. You don’t have to do them all, but give a few of them a shot and see how they work out for you.
The Art of Journal Writing
If you’re like most people, you spend a good amount of time thinking to yourself everyday. I use to do it all the time, especially when I worked in a cubicle. I would constantly sit at my desk and let my brain work itself into overdrive about all sorts of different things.
I would brainstorm ideas on how to make money, think about the dreams I had the night before, and even spend time daydreaming about a life that was more enjoyable.
However, I would always fail to make anything of the thoughts. Instead, I would let them drift away and constantly forget the ideas I had.
7 Mac Apps for Productivity
If you’re like me, you love to keep things simple and productive. This is especially true for computer related tasks and chores. If you happen to use a Mac, check out the following applications that I use on a daily basis to keep myself productive:
1Password
Have a ton of passwords? 1Password is a lifesaver when it comes to storing your personal information. Not only can you store passwords, but you can also add personal information, credit cards, and a whole mess of other stuff.
My favorite thing of all is the ability to “Go & Fill Login,” which will take you to a certain website such as your bank and automatically log you in. It’s amazing how much time you save by not having to do all the steps manually.
Create A Minimalist Home Office
If you work from home, there’s a good chance that you spend a fair share of your time in your home office. I know I do. But is it too cluttered?
If you missed my post yesterday, I already talked about the art of decluttering and how nice it feels. Along with getting rid of everything I didn’t need, I also spent time making my home office as minimalist as possible.
The Art of Decluttering
Does your place look like similar to the picture? If so, it’s time to start decluttering.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been busy decluttering my life and all I can say is wow does it feel great! It is amazing how much clutter we accumulate in our lives, both physical and mental. And it’s a safe assumption that a lot of our mental clutter is the result of all the physical clutter we surround ourselves with.
The Importance Of Taking Breaks
Regardless of what you do for a living, it is really important to take breaks (or mini-retirements) whenever you get a chance. It’s even more important if your career involves working for yourself. Why? Because people that work for themselves (myself included), tend to be very hard on themselves. I constantly feel like I need to be working as hard as possible all the time.
Below are a few things that I really enjoy about taking breaks from time to time:
Tools For The Digital Nomad
Becoming a digital nomad took a lot of time, research, and planning to get right. There are so many tools, software packages, and gadgets available that it can be overwhelming to find the best ones.
I often get emails about what software I recommend for various things like invoicing, accounting, and so on. I usually reply as soon as I can and send people responses but lately I have been swamped with projects.
So instead, I have decided to make it easier for everyone. Below, I have listed all…
The Perfect Tool For Online Storage
When it comes to being a digital nomad, the most important thing of all is finding a way to keep everything available on the road. That’s why it is crucial to have a way to access your files, even when you don’t have your own computer along.
I have been searching for a tool to manage my online data storage for awhile now and have been disappointed with a few of the ones I have tried.
Luckily, I found Dropbox and have been more than happy with its features.…
